3 Big Things From Wisconsin Basketball Win Over Arkansas State

Wisconsin Badgers Basketball opened their 2023-2024 season at the Kohl Center, taking on Arkansas State. It was a well-rounded, fun game to watch; the Wisconsin basketball got the win 105-76.

Here are three big things from the win.

Welcome AJ Storr

For most Badger fans, this was their first look at transfer wing AJ Storr, and he did not disappoint. Right from the start of the game, Storr was aggressive and efficient. Storr is precisely what Wisconsin basketball needed and was missing from last season. An athletic wing that can create their own shot. Not only was Storr a treat to watch on the offensive end, but he also had some flashes defensively, including a nice block off the glass in the first half.

AJ Storr has scored 9 of the first 16 points for Wisconsin to start tonight

He’s 4-for-5 FG… including shots like this 👀 @storr_aj pic.twitter.com/ttiTJJ2sMU

— brandon harrison (@brandonharrison) November 7, 2023

I’m all in on Storr and him being in the starting lineup. I think he is a massive addition to this team and may even be one of the best transfers in the whole country from this off-season. He finished with 15 points.

Wisconsin Basketball Has a Deep Rotation

Coach Greg Gard and this staff have tough decisions moving forward. Although it is a good thing to have so many guys you trust to play, sometimes it can cause rotation issues. Gard went 12 deep in just the first half of action, even without Freshman Gus Yalden, who likely would’ve made it 13. Moving forward, I expect Grad to windle this rotation down to 10 or 9. Guys must adjust to this, as it can change from night to night, depending on who’s playing well. That can be hard for young players to accept so something to keep an eye on moving forward.

Freshman Nolan Winter was first off the bench again, followed by Carter Gilmore and Connor Essegian. Those 3 are a lock to play almost every game, but after that, you have many guys who can be in and out of the rotation. Like John Blackwell, Isaac Lindsey, Markus Ilver, and Kamari McGee. I am excited about how deep this team is, but I hope Gard can figure out his rotation early on.

Wisconsin Basketball Can Score in Multiple Ways

Last year, at times, it felt like Wisconsin basketball relied heavily on shooting threes. The Badgers attempted the 3rd most in the Big Ten last year. In this game tonight, we saw a different and dominant offense. In the first half, Wisconsin basketball scored 56 points without making a single three-pointer. They got to the foul line a total of 25 times. For a team that was one of the worst in the country at getting to the line last year, this is a great sign.

This could be an excellent offensive unit with multiple guys who can score double-figures every night. We already know how hard they will work on the other end, so if the offense clicks, look out. The Badgers poured in 105 points tonight, with 7 different Badgers scoring 8 or more points.

Overall, I understand this was a weaker opponent, but you have to be excited with what we have seen so far from this group. They will be tested early this year, so we will see quickly how good they can be.

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