Wisconsin Basketball vs. Robert Morris: Pre-Game Storylines

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team (1-2) are set to face Andrew Toole’s Robert Morris Colonials (1-2) at the Kohl Center on Friday night.

The Badgers, coming off a rough 72-59 loss to Providence on Tuesday, will be looking to even their record against a much weaker Robert Morris lineup. The Colonials are fresh off a 66-62 defeat against the Towson Tigers on Sunday.

Let’s delve into some noteworthy storylines ahead of Friday’s clash.

Much Needed Blowout Win For Wisconsin Basketball

It hasn’t been a warm welcome to the 2023-24 season for Wisconsin basketball — and it sure won’t be getting any easier going forward.

Before Big Ten play even tips off, the Badgers still have the No. 3 ranked Arizona Wildcats, No. 4 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles, and Virginia Caveliers on their already exhausting schedule. This comes after facing No. 7 ranked Tennessee in their second game of the season, followed by a road clash against Providence only a few days later. Wisconsin’s early slip-ups have costed them a lot of momentum built up during their historic victory over Arkansas State to start the season, but a dominant win over Robert Morris would put the Badgers right back at .500 — which just feels so much better than sporting a losing record.

Realistically, this should be a really easy win for the Badgers on Friday. According to ESPN analytics, the Badgers have a whopping 95% chance of entering the weekend with a victory.

Despite the opponent, this Wisconsin squad should improve with every game this season. A blowout win will see newest Badgers A.J. Storr, John Blackwell, and Nolan Winter recieve more time to mesh with their brand new teammates in a relaxed atmosphere, and potentially an oppurtunity for previously unhealthy Connor Essegian to gradually get back to game speed.

Will Greg Gard’s Rotation Look Any Different?

Head coach Greg Gard was not happy following his team’s upsetting defeat at the hands of the Providence Friars on Tuesday.

In his post-game conference, he stated that freshmen Blackwell and Winter were working a lot harder than some of the other guys on the floor. He was frustrated with his team’s finishing down low, hinting at Winter recieving more play time at the forward position. By looking at the stat sheet alone, it is also evident that Blackwell has been one of Wisconsin’s brightest spots on both sides of the floor, and could being seeing starting minutes while still coming off the bench.

Not much is known about the status of Essegian’s back injury that he sustained on opening night, but it will be interesting to see if his minutes increase with good health. The sophomore guard was a humongous part of last year’s team, and it’s hard to imagine this year’s Wisconsin squad without him playing a significant role. Proven by their 25% shooting from beyond the arc in consecutive losses, the Wisconsin basketball team needs Essegian to light it up from three.

Gard began testing his bench against the Friars on Tuesday, providing minutes to junior guard Isaac Lindsey and junior forward Markus Ilver. Don’t be surprised to see him do it again on Friday.

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