On Friday at 4:30 PM PT on FS1, Stanford men’s basketball will take on the Wisconsin Badgers in the Brew City Battle in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The game will be played at American Family Field, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers. Stanford and Wisconsin both come in at 1-0 overall.
Last time out: On Monday, Stanford defeated Pacific 88-78. Stanford grad transfer guard Michael Jones (31 points) and sophomore center Maxime Raynaud (22 points) both had career highs.
DUAL RECAP: Stanford MBB & #2 Stanford WBB win Monday doubleheader
On Wisconsin: The Badgers defeated South Dakota 85-59 in their first game of the season on Monday. Senior forward Tyler Wahl led the way for the Badgers with 19 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore guard Chucky Hepburn had 14 points.
The Badgers are coming off a season in which they went 25-8 overall and 15-5 in the Big Ten, securing a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin defeated #14 Colgate (67-60) in the first round of the tourney before falling to #11 Iowa State (49-54) in the second round.
While this is a big game for Stanford, this is also a big game for Wisconsin. Even though the game is technically a neutral site game, it basically is a home game for the Badgers. It’s a big event and major game for them. Everyone is excited about playing at the Brewers’ stadium and they do not want to let the home crowd down.
Keys to the game: For Stanford, the first thing they need to do is get a strong performance from Michael Jones. In games like this, it’s huge if your veteran guys step up and provide a calming presence. Jones has been in these kinds of moments before and it will also be a homecoming of sorts for him as he’s from nearby Minnesota. So, getting a strong outing from him, even if it isn’t another career-high, will be big.
The next thing Stanford needs to do is contain Wahl. He is the top returning scorer on this Badgers team and will look to have a big performance in this game. If Stanford can contain him and not allow him to have a big night, that’ll force others to have to step up their game and make things tougher for the Badgers.
Finally, Stanford needs to take care of the ball. In games like this, every possession is so precious. Stanford cannot expect to win this game if they are not taking good care of the ball and having sound possessions.
Prediction: Wisconsin is coming off a much better season and this is basically a home game for them. I got the Badgers winning, but I think Stanford has a chance to keep it close and make it interesting. Wisconsin 70 Stanford 62 is how I see this one shaking out.
Note: Stanford senior forward Spencer Jones is day-to-day coming into this game after missing Monday’s contest against Pacific. His status for the game remains to be seen.
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