Wisconsin Badgers
Appalachian State
Starting Five: UW faces Appalachian State
November 08, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Wisconsin looks to improve to 3-0
MADISON, Wis. — Off to a 2-0 start with wins over Holy Cross and Montana State, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team faces another early-season test in Appalachian State on Sunday. Tip-off between the Badgers and Mountaineers is set for 11 a.m. (CT) at the Kohl Center. The game will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:
1. LAST TIME OUT
Wisconsin came out on top against a tough Montana State team, winning 79-67 on Thursday night at the Kohl Center. Four Badgers scored in double figures in the victory, including Max Klesmit (26 points), John Tonje (13), John Blackwell (13), and Kamari McGee (11). Blackwell also dished out a career high four assists, while Kamari McGee added three rebounds and three assists, both matching his career highs with UW.
Additional contributions were made by Steven Crowl, who posted his 14th career game with 4 or more assists, while Nolan Winter attacked the glass and grabbed a career high eight rebounds.
UW capitalized on hot shooting, going 11-for-22 from 3-point range and 20-for-21 at the free throw line. The Badgers have now tallied back-to-back games scoring 79 or more points, the first time that has happened since the 2017-18 season.
2. TO THE MAX
Max Klesmit had a standout performance for the Badgers on Thursday night. His 26 points were one point away from his career high, and it matched his highest scoring output with Wisconsin, having previously scored 26 points against Indiana last season on Jan. 19, 2024.
The Senior went 6-for-11 from three-point range, marking the most 3s he has made in his career. Klesmit is no stranger to strong shooting performances, as he had seven prior performances in his career with five made 3-pointers.
Klesmit is now averaging 16.5 points per game to start the season.
3. FREE AT THE LINE
Wisconsin continued its early-season success from the free throw line. After going 16-for-16 in the first game of the season, UW made its first nine free throws to start the game against Montana State on Thursday before missing its first free throw of the year and ending the streak at 25 straight made free throws. It ended up being the only blemish of the night at the line, however, as the Badgers finished 20-for-21 at the charity stripe.
John Tonje led the team, going 8-for-9 at the line, followed by Klesmit (6-for-6) and Crowl (4-for-4). Tonje is now 16-for-17 at the free throw line this season, leading the Big Ten in both free throws made and attempts.
Wisconsin is now 36-for-37 (97.3%) at the free throw line this season, which leads the Big Ten.
4. ALL EYES ON APPALACHIAN STATE
Wisconsin hosts Appalachian State on Sunday, marking the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Mountaineers are coached by Dustin Kerns in his sixth season with the school. App State enjoyed one of its most successful seasons last year, going 27-7 and winning the Sun Belt Conference championship.
Appalachian State is 1-1 this season, after losing to Miami (FL) in its opening game 77-63, then rebounding with a 108-54 win over St. Andrews. The Mountaineers sport four players averaging over 12 points per game, including freshman Michael Marcus Jr.
5. NON-CONFERENCE DOMINANCE
Appalachian State serves as the third non-conference game of the season for the Badgers, who historically have faired well in such matchups. Since Greg Gard took over head coaching duties in 2015, Wisconsin is 67-22 in regular season non-conference games. The Badgers fair even better in those matchups when playing at the Kohl Center, now 50-5 after the win against Montana State.
