By james art 
The Wisconsin Badgers open their season at home tonight against the Holy Cross Crusaders.
Led by head coach Dave Paulsen, the Crusaders finished their 2023 campaign with a 10-23 record. Holy Cross finished No. 9 in the Patriot League preseason poll, just above Loyola Maryland and behind Navy. Paulsen and his team are looking to get on the right track and start strong against a top-tier Big Ten program in Wisconsin.
Here are two Badgers and Crusaders to look out for in this contest:
Wisconsin: Stephen Crowl
Holy Cross doesn’t have much size, which bodes well for Wisconsin’s Stephen Crowl. Crowl had his best season as a Badger last year when he averaged 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and just over two assists per game. Greg Gard mentioned that he expects Crowl to make a leap in aggressiveness and play on the floor this season. This game is the perfect place for Crowl to start that leap.
When I went to practice a few weeks ago, it was clear that the offense was going to run through Steven Crowe. This follows a larger trend in both college basketball and the Big Ten Conference itself. The Big Ten was dominated by centers in the 2020s, with guys like Zach Eddy, Coffey Cockburn and Hunter Dickinson leading that resurgence.
If Wisconsin wants to remain a top-tier team this season and beyond, they need to dominate in the paint and in the front court. It all starts with Crowl, so expect him to have a strong game in the Badgers’ home opener tonight.
Wisconsin: G John Tonje
John Tonje was an under-the-radar portal addition by Coach Gard and his coaching staff. Tonje was a middling star at Colorado State and transferred to Missouri last year, but essentially had a lost season due to injuries. Tonje comes to Madison as a player looking to make an impact from Day 1 as a senior.
Tonje’s shooting ability and comfort level as a goalscorer stood out to me both in training and in the red-white clash a few weeks ago. He’s more of an off-the-ball scoring threat that won’t miss a beat. Tonje brings a similar but different skill set to Wisconsin than AJ Storr, who was similar in his scoring presence. Expect Tonje to attempt a lot of threes and jump shots in this game and try to start his season off on a good note.
Holy Cross: F. Caleb Kenny
Holy Cross returns last year’s Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year in Caleb Kenney. Kenny was a force to be reckoned with in the Patriot League, averaging 6.5 rebounds and two blocks per game. Kenney fits well in the 3/4 position, so I expect him to face the likes of Xavier Amos and John Tonje in this contest.
Kenney is not a threat on the perimeter, but he is very effective in the paint and can cause problems for opponents with his physical style of play. I expect Nolan Winter/Stephen Crowl to help guard him in the paint for a few possessions to limit his efficiency and ability to score easy baskets.
Holy Cross: G Joe Nugent
Sophomore Joe Nugent is a very underrated pure shooter in college basketball. Nugent averaged 40.3% from beyond the arc in a very high volume last season for the Crusaders. He looks to build on his impressive freshman season by catching fire at the Kohl Center.
Wisconsin struggled defensively down the stretch last season, especially against the three-point shot. Nugent gives us an early look at how well the Badgers can defend and limit damage from beyond the arc this season. I would expect John Blackwell and Kamari McGee to guard him in certain situations as the more athletic guards, but I could also see John Tonje opposite Nugent for a bit as well.
I expect Wisconsin to get a big win against Holy Cross, but both Nugent and Kenney could give the Badgers trouble if they let their guard down.
Final Prediction: 88-59 Wisconsin