By james art 
MADISON, WI – Forced to overhaul roster robbed by transfer portal, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard I felt good about the additions, the developments and the chemistry cultivated during the weeks of preparation and practices. He was also the live host on the opening night of college basketball as he was still learning about the lineup of the band.
He learned a big lesson in game number one: his group is resilient.
On a night where many things went awry on both ends of the court, the Badgers were able to erase an early 16-point deficit and find their gear in the second half to earn a convincing 85-61 win over Holy Cross.
Senior John Tonje impressed in his Wisconsin debut, scoring 23 points to lead the program to its ninth straight home opener. John Blackwell added 16 points, five on a 15-0 run that gave UW the lead for good early in the second half. Nolan Winter scored 15 points in the second half in his first collegiate start.
Guard Gabe Warren had 23 for Holy Cross, 13 of which came in the opening 5:39 as he and his teammates made nine of 10 shots and outscored Wisconsin 21-3.
The fact that the Badgers wiped the shock off their faces to trail by one at halftime was a testament to the perimeter avoidance and post attack. After the first eight minutes, UW had attempted just two shots inside the arc before escaping a streak of seven shots around the rim.
The results provided expected results against a small team. Multiple players found production at the rim, which generated more open looks on the perimeter. Tonje’s two open 3-pointers snapped an 18-2 run, snapped a nine-point streak on the perimeter and tied the game at 25.
UW didn’t let the Crusaders hang around long. The Badgers made seven of their first nine shots from the locker room and tightened things up defensively, outshooting the Crusaders 56.7 percent to 33.3 in the second half.
The Badgers also got some rebounds, such as Carter Gilmore turning a mis-putt into a three-point play or Winter’s 3-pointer that silenced the back iron before falling to extend the lead to 18.
What does it mean: In one of the lower-attended home games in Kohl Center history, the lack of fan support was almost as jarring as the Badgers falling behind by 16 to the Patriot League’s projected ninth-place team. UW has been able to fix things on the court, but they need to find a way to bring fans back and engage them.
The star of the game: Tonje was active at all three levels, going 3-for-5 from two, 3-for-6 from three and 8-for-8 from the line. The graduate also helped erase his mistakes. After making a turnover on a poor pass after going in, Tonje slipped back and pulled the shot away.
Game Stats: After going 3-for-15 from the perimeter in the first half, Wisconsin went 8-for-16 in the second half from six different players scoring.
Cause for concern: Steven Crowe had his first shot of the game and then disappeared offensively for most of the game. He finished with seven points and eight rebounds in the game, but was just 2-for-5 in the low post. With the amount of scoring UW has to replace, Crowl fading into the background in games where he has a decisive size advantage is troubling.
Don’t overlook: Kamari McGee showed his roster value, he won’t always score. Joining Gilmore as the first reserves off the bench, McGee had seven points on six shots, four assists and one steal against one loss and saw UW outscore Holy Cross by 35 points when he was on the floor.
What’s next: Opting not to play on the opening night of college basketball, Montana State will begin its 2024-25 season in Madison on Thursday night. The three-time defending Big Sky champions, the Bobcats were the preseason pick to win the league. Montana State will be one of the older teams in the country with seven seniors and graduate students in the projected rotation, plus five juniors. The tip is scheduled for 7:00 PM on BTN+.