1. LAST TIME OUT

Wisconsin earned an 85-66 victory over the Montana Grizzlies in the tournament's opening round, giving the program a 17-4 record in the First Round since 2002. The Badgers put on a balanced offensive display, tying for their third highest scoring mark in a tournament game.

Five players reached double-figures for Wisconsin. John Blackwell led the way with 19 points and five rebounds. Steven Crowl scored 18 points on 8-for-10 field goal shooting. John Tonje dropped 15 points, going 9-for-9 from the free throw line. Xavier Amos put up 11 points off the bench, and Nolan Winter rounded things off with 10 points. It’s the first time since 2017 that five Badgers scored 10+ points in a tournament game.

UW shot 55.4% from the field (31-for-56) and dominated the paint. The team outrebounded Montana, and scored 38 points in the paint. The Badger’s couldn’t be stopped down low, shooting 72.7% (24-for-33) on 2-point attempts.

2. CHEERS FOR THE BENCH

The Badger’s win was sparked by great play off the bench. With the lead narrowed to just four points in the second-half, Carter Gilmore made a series of smart plays and clutch shots to build the lead back up for Wisconsin. Gilmore scored five straight points, and drew a charge that led to another UW 3-pointer.

That Badger run continued thanks to Xavier Amos and Kamari McGee. Amos padded the lead with a slam dunk immediately after checking in, before knocking down a 3-pointer a few minutes later. Kamari McGee was key on multiple defensive possessions, fighting for rebounds, and dishing out assists.

Amos finished with 11 points in just 13 minutes of play, Gilmore secured eight points and six rebounds, and McGee collected six rebounds - a season-high. In total, Wisconsin’s bench combined for 23 points.

3. RECORD BREAKING CROWL

A huge standout for Wisconsin in the victory was senior Steven Crowl, who scored 18 points in just 26 minutes. Crowl’s scoring burst was a product of his efficiency, going 8-for-10 from the field. 

Not only is that a career-high field goal-percentage for Crowl (minimum 10 attempts), but 80.0% is the highest any Badger has shot from the field in an NCAA Tournament game. Crowl surpassed Frank Kaminsky’s 72.7% (8-for-11) performance against Baylor in the 2014 Sweet Sixteen.

Crowl is 20 points away from scoring 1,500 points in his career - all with Wisconsin. He would become the 12th Badger to reach that mark.

4. CATCHING UP ON THE COUGARS

Wisconsin’s Second Round opponent is the sixth-seeded BYU Cougars, coming off a 80-71 win over the No. 11 VCU Rams. Wisconsin and BYU have met twice before in the teams’ history, with UW taking both victories. The teams last met in November of 2011, where the Badgers won, 73-56. Ben Brust hit seven 3-pointers off the bench for a game-high 21 points.

BYU is coached by Kevin Young in his first season with the team. Young has guided the Cougars to a 25-9 record, finishing third in the Big 12 with a 14-6 conference mark. He emphasizes a volume-shooting offense, with the Cougars attempting the 11th most 3-pointers per game, and scoring 80.9 points per game.

Junior guard Richie Saunders leads the team in scoring at 16.0 points per game with a 42.4% 3-point clip. Standing at 6-9, freshman Egor Demin takes up playmaking duties, averaging 10.5 points and 5.3 assists per game.

5. DENVER FAN EVENTS

Badger fans have multiple opportunities to rally together before the game. On Friday, Wally’s Wisconsin Tavern (1417 Market St, Denver, CO) will host a watch party for Wisconsin’s Women’s hockey team - taking on Minnesota in the NCAA Frozen Four. The party begins at 6:30 p.m. MT. 

Basketball gameday on the following Saturday features a team send-off from the Westin Downtown (1672 Lawrence St, Denver, CO) at 3:30 p.m. MT. Immediately after, fans can make their way back to the Wally’s for a pre-game pep rally from 4:00 to 5:15 p.m. MT, before Wisconsin tips off at 5:45 p.m.