Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers Face Daunting Non-Conference Schedule

Madison, Wis. – Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball team struggled to meet expectations a season ago, and now they will have to prove themselves against an even tougher slate of non-conference opponents this upcoming season.

Recently, the Wisconsin Badgers announced their upcoming out of conference games for next season. Between Arizona, Tennessee, and Providence, UW will be up against plenty of experienced players. Of course, their toughest competition in 2023 will come from the Big Ten where the Badgers will have to expect serious competition.

A major question still remains for the Wisconsin basketball program as the 2023 season approaches. Will the Wisconsin Badgers be able to compete with their backs against the wall?

Badgers Must Prepare For Difficult Season Following NCAA Tournament Absence

This past season, the Wisconsin Badgers failed to make the NCAA Tournament after a difficult season. The Badgers had plenty of ups and downs, and while missing the tournament hurt, their play in the NIT was a boost. During the NIT, many analysts believed the Badgers could exit the tournament early after struggling against their Big Ten opposition to finish the regular season. The Wisconsin basketball team had other plans however.

For the Badgers, the play of Connor Essegian, Steven Crowl, and Chucky Hepburn led Wisconsin during a deep run. Crowl exploded for 36 points against Bradley in the first round of the tournament. Hepburn dropped 27 points in the second round against Liberty. Essegian had his best performance against Bradley, scoring 14 points and recording five rebounds. While Wisconsin inevitably lost to North Texas in the Semifinal and struggled at times, the experience has provided plenty for the Badgers.

The major takeaway that many critics want to make is that Wisconsin shined at times and struggled during the NIT, which is not as meaningful as the NCAA Tournament. However, Wisconsin can take away plenty of positives from their performance during the tournament. Wisconsin shot 41.9% on average per game during the NIT while scoring 271 points. During the previous four games the Badgers played, Wisconsin scored 268 points on 41.5% shooting, but lost three of those games. The difference was not the consistency or the power of the offense. Rather, the difference was the efficiency of the Wisconsin defense.

Wisconsin Basketball Defense is Key to Future Success During Upcoming Season

To end the Big Ten season, the Wisconsin basketball team allowed 282 points in their final four games. The Badgers lost to Michigan, Purdue, and Ohio State in dramatic fashion. Despite their losses, the defense came back during the NIT and played significantly better. Wisconsin allowed 245 points during the NIT, while allowing their opponents to shoot 43.9% from the floor. While Wisconsin has a strong offense, their team often struggled to shoot at times, which caused a heavy reliance on their defense.

The difference between the production of the Wisconsin basketball team on offense and the offensive production of their opponents is something to worry about. Wisconsin has the ability to score, but aiming to solely outscore their opponents next season would be a futile plan. The Badgers biggest need for their team involves their shot defense. Wisconsin needs to force their opponents to take more difficult shots this upcoming season to become better on defense.

With the right application of their learning experiences this past season, the Wisconsin basketball team can attack this tough upcoming season head on.

Former Wisconsin Basketball Guard Finds a New Home

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Jarrett Guerrera on Twitter @JarrettGuerrera.

Follow this link and use promo code: BADGERNOTES for 25% off your next True Classic order.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.