Starting Five: Wisconsin hosts UW-River Falls
October 28, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Exhibition serves as eighth-annual 'Garding Against Cancer' game
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men's basketball team nears the beginning of the 2024-25 season, with an exhibition against UW-River Falls serving as its first unofficial game. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday at the Kohl Center.
Since 2005, the Badgers have hosted an annual exhibition against teams from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Head coach Greg Gard (UW-Platteville), assistant coach Sharif Chambliss (UW-Milwaukee, UW-Platteville), and player Kamari McGee (Green Bay) each have prior experience with WIAC teams.
Wednesday's game also serves as the eighth-annual Cancer Awareness Game, in partnership with Garding Against Cancer. Garding Against Cancer was founded in 2016 by Gard and his wife, Michelle, and since its inception has raised $8.5 million (as of May 2024) for cancer research in the state of Wisconsin.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:
1. FIGURING OUT THE FALCONS
The last time the Badgers faced off against UW-River Falls was in 2015, when the Badgers secured a 101-46 exhibition victory. Dating back to 1992, Wisconsin is 50-0 in exhibition contests. Additionally, they are 20-0 against WIAC teams over that time span.
2. BEEN HERE BEFORE
Wisconsin’s two returning starters, Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl, bring a distinct experience that few other teams in the country can boast. Wisconsin is one of four teams in the nation with multiple players with over 100 career starts, joined by Kansas, Kentucky and Nebraska. Additionally, Crowl is just one of five players in Division I this season to make 100+ starts with the same school.
Both Crowl and Klesmit reached 1,000 career points last season. John Tonje, one of Wisconsin’s newest transfers, has played in over 130 games as well, and is another 1,000 point scorer.
3. THROUGH THE PORTAL
Wisconsin acquired three experienced and prolific players through the transfer portal this offseason. Junior forward Xavier Amos joined transferred from Northern Illinois, junior guard Camren Hunter came from Central Arkansas, and graduate John Tonje joined from Colorado State and Missouri.
Amos averaged 13.8 points per game last season with Northern Illinois. Hunter and Tonje were both medical redshirts last season, but averaged 16.9 and 14.6 points, respectively, during the 2022-23 season.
4. FRESH FACES
Wisconsin bolstered its roster this season with the addition of four freshmen joining the team.
Forward Jack Robinson joined from Lakeville, Minnesota, continuing the lineage of Badgers that attended Lakeville North following in the footsteps of current teammate, Nolan Winter, as well as former players Nate Reuvers and Tyler Wahl.
Point guard Daniel Freitag hails from Bloomington, Minnesota, and enters the program as one the highest-rated point guard prospects in program history.
Walk-on guard Aidan Konop is a local Wisconsinite, joining the team after a successful career at Sussex Hamilton High School.
Forward Ricardo Greppi arrived with international experience, hailing from Italy where he played in the Italy-NextGen league.
5. MADE IN MADISON
The 2024-25 season schedule has no shortage of exciting games for Badger fans to watch in Madison, with the first five regular season matchups for Wisconsin all occurring at the Kohl Center.
Included in those games is a matchup against No. 10 Arizona on November 15, which will be this season's “Stripe Out” game. Later in the season on February 4, Wisconsin hosts No. 17 Indiana in Wisconsin’s “White out” game. The Badgers also host Oregon and Washington for the first time as members of the Big Ten in consecutive games on February 22 and 25.
