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Wisconsin Basketball: Keys to success against Saint Mary’s in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

MADISON, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 22: Brad Davison #34 of the Wisconsin Badgers is defended by Lasani Johnson #5 of the Grambling State Tigers during the first half at Kohl Center on December 22, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 22: Brad Davison #34 of the Wisconsin Badgers is defended by Lasani Johnson #5 of the Grambling State Tigers during the first half at Kohl Center on December 22, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 01: Davison of the Badgers reacts. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – FEBRUARY 01: Davison of the Badgers reacts. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

3. Determine a potential go-to clutch scorer.

This is likely to be a slow-paced and low-scoring contest. Both Wisconsin and Saint Mary’s ranked near the bottom of the entire nation in adjusted tempo last season and it is reasonable to assume that the teams will exhibit similar numbers this time around. With that said, the Badgers will likely hang around against this top-25 opponent by virtue of the slow pace and their strong defense. Down the stretch of the game, though, Wisconsin will need someone to stand out as the go-to scorer.

Superstar guard Jordan Ford clearly holds that role for Saint Mary’s and hopefully the Badgers will have someone carry the torch this season. Even though Wisconsin looks poised to be an extremely balanced offensive squad, a scoring hierarchy needs to developed for crunch time. Based on last season’s film and the roster outlook for this campaign, it seems as though rising junior guard D’Mitrik Trice will be that guy.

Trice is fresh off averaging 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game and is the team’s top returning scorer from last year. His usage rate of 21.0% was easily the second-highest on the squad (behind Ethan Happ) a year ago and he should continue to carry a major offensive load this season. Additionally, though, Brad Davison is a strong backcourt option to carry the scoring burden down the stretch as he is a strong self-creator with the physicality needed to contribute at all three levels.

Nate Reuvers looks poised to be one of the team’s top offensive options this season but it is more likely that a guard carries the team in crunch time. With a rigorous non-conference schedule approaching, determining this clutch scoring hierarchy early could be huge.

Related Story. Season preview for the Wisconsin Badgers. light

That concludes this look at Wisconsin basketball’s potential keys to success in their season-opener against Saint Mary’s. This is definitely going to be a challenging matchup and it will be intriguing to see if they can pull off the upset.

Final Prediction: Saint Mary’s Gaels – 66, Wisconsin Badgers – 58.

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