3 thoughts from the Wisconsin men’s basketball win over Holy Cross

Here are a few thoughts coming out of the Wisconsin men’s basketball team's 85-61 win over Holy Cross in the season opener.

Mandatory Credit: Badgernotes Photographer Dane Sheehan.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men's basketball team shook off a rough start on opening night to notch a convincing 85-61 win over Holy Cross at the Kohl Center.

Eight minutes into the game, though, Holy Cross, led by head coach Dave Paulsen, stunned the Badgers by building a 21-5 lead. The Crusaders moved the ball well and connected on nine of their first 11 shot attempts, including three of their first four tries from beyond the arc. They did so by taking advantage of an uninspired defensive effort by Wisconsin.

But an 18-2 run by the Badgers in the first half helped close the gap to 36-35 by halftime, and the Wisconsin basketball team completely took over in the second half, outscoring Holy Cross 50-25. It was a pair of key runs that allowed coach Gard’s team to dodge what could’ve been a tough opening-night loss in what’s shaping up to be a pivotal season for this program.

"I like how we responded, battled back, and grew defensively as the game wore on," Gard told reporters. "We've got a long, long way to go, but I like the response when things weren't going well early."

Graduate transfer John Tonje led the way with 23 points and five rebounds on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting, while John Blackwell contributed 16 points and four rebounds of his own. As a team, the Badgers shot 49.2% from the floor and connected on 11-of-31 three-point attempts for an average of 1.269 PPP.

Here's what stood out from the Badgers win over Holy Cross.

John Tonje had a memorable debut at the Kohl Center

As mentioned above, Tonje led the way with 23 points, marking the highest point total by a Wisconsin basketball player in a debut since at least 2000, surpassing Josh Gasser's 21 points in 2010.

Tonje shot 6-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Of his five rebounds, Tonje was able to grab two offensive boards. Hard to ask for more than that from a veteran in his debut.

But Tonje’s impact went beyond his role as a scorer—the 6-foot-6 wing also set the tone for the team defensively. During the Badgers' early struggles, Tonje brought intensity, had a few deflections, hustled for loose balls, and even drew a charge in transition. His hustle energized the team, and his teammates followed his lead, which helped turn the game around.

"He's old, he's the dad of the team," Nolan Winter said of Tonje. "He's drinking coffee in the morning, he just brings that veteran presence to the squad… On the court, he brings shooting, can get to the free field line whenever he wants, it's always good to have a guy like that on the court that can slow it down for us, get him the rock, and just let him operate.

“He's fun to play with, for sure."

The Badgers are counting on Tonje to be a steady scoring option this season, but it was a great sign to see him making an impact all over the court—especially by staying aggressive and attacking the rim when shots weren’t falling.

Kamari McGee is Wisconsin's heartbeat off the bench

Although the Badgers have opted to use a starting five that doesn't have a traditional point guard running the show, that doesn't mean that Kamari McGee won't have plenty of opportunities to make an impact.

The 6-foot senior played a career-high 28 minutes off the bench, his most at Wisconsin, finishing with seven points and four assists with just one turnover. McGee also led the Badgers with an absurd +35 mark in the +/- category, which helps underline his overall value on the court.

"In terms of Kam McGee's position, he gives us a heck of a boost off the bench," said Gard. "For what he did tonight, four assists, one turnover... not that I really marry myself to the plus-minus, but +35, I don't know if I've seen that on a box score before. He impacts the game.

"I think he allows me to move people up and down the lineup even though I don't sub him for a point guard per se. I can sub him for one of the bigs, and we can change the look and mobility across the front line. So it's really a what's needed basis. I don't get consumed with who's starting."

The rotation is far from settled. In all honesty, it feels like coach Gard only feels comfortable leaning on his 1-6, which includes McGee, and the other spots are all seemingly up for grabs, depending on who capitalizes on opportunities.

Either way, McGee is going to be a core piece of this Badgers rotation due to the assertiveness he plays with on defense and the pace he has offensively.

Nolan Winter showed legitimate signs of growth

Before tip-off, it was announced that sophomore Nolan Winter was questionable for Monday's season opener. However, after going through warmups, the Minnesota native decided to give it a go, and Winter had a career night starting next to Steven Crowl.

It may have taken until late in the second half before things started to click, but Winter eventually started to find his rhythm on offense and showed signs of a player who took a big step forward.

The 7-foot forward finished a career-high 15 points on a 6-for-6 shooting from the floor. Winter also pulled down four rebounds and added two assists in his 20 minutes of action. I thought the most encouraging development centered around what Winter showed in the low post, particularly his improved footwork down on the low block.

We already know that Winter is capable of being a shooter and spacing the floor, but if he can also give the Badgers another option they can post up, it will allow them to play even more inside-out and would open up a lot for this offense.

“It was a little confidence booster,” Winter said after the game. “It’s a new season for me, and I’m going to play a little differently than I have in the past. Coaches have done a great job with me, and I thank them a lot for instilling that thought that I can have my back to the basket and working with coach [Jim] Snider in the weight room putting on weight."

Winter starting for Wisconsin means they still have some sorting out to do on the bench in terms of who the team’s backup frontcourt options will be. But Winter appears to have added a few new dimensions to his game, which is encouraging because they need him to be someone they can rely on.

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