Tennessee's Way-Too-Early Opponent Outlook: Wisconsin
The Tennessee Volunteers have two matchups in non-conference play against Big Ten opponents this upcoming season. They will host Illinois Fighting Illini in Thompson-Boling Arena on December 9th. However, almost a month before, they will take an early season road trip to Madison, Wisconsin, to play the Badgers in the Kohl Center.
Last season, Wisconsin went 20-15 overall and just 9-11 in Big Ten play. Not the ideal season when it comes to playing within the conference. The team missed out on the NCAA tournament. However, a great performance in the NIT gave the Badgers hope for next season. They made it to the tournament's semi-final round before a loss to the eventual NIT champion North Texas.
Wisconsin F Tyler Wahl going up for a layup against Ohio State in the Big 10 Tournament in Chicago, Illinois, on March 8, 2023. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski of USA Today Sports)
Since the Vols play them in Madison, the home record from last season is something to look at. They finished 11-6 in the Kohl Center, with five wins coming against Big Ten opponents and just one win at home coming against a ranked team (#13 Maryland on December 6th). As for players on the team that did well, one guy to look at is guard Chucky Hepburn. In the 2022-23 season, he took a big step in production. His scoring per game went up to 12.2 points a game, nearly a 4.5-point increase from last year.
Tennessee must also find a way to limit Hepburn from beyond the arc. He was a 40% shooter from three. If they can get him to get his attempts up from inside the arc, it creates a winning formula, as Hepburn was only 37% with field goal shooting. Tennessee will also have to watch Wisconsin's leading rebounder Steven Crowl who averaged seven boards a game last season. He also scored relatively efficiently, as he had a 12-point average last year.
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