Stanford vs Wisconsin: 2022-23 college basketball game preview, TV schedule

Stanford will travel to Milwaukee to take on Wisconsin on the Brewers’ field as both teams look to get a win in their first true test.

Stanford and Wisconsin both opened their seasons on Tuesday against mid-majors in what for the most part, were warm-up games before they met in Milwaukee on Friday night. Wisconsin-Stanford will be part of a doubleheader in which the Wisconsin women’s team will play Kansas State at American Family Insurance Field. Wisconsin and Stanford will be the primetime game of the event, tipping off at around 7:30 P.M. EST.

Stanford’s health

Stanford began their season Tuesday afternoon, hosting Pacific in a game that the Cardinal was in control, but let Pacific back into the game. Stanford was without some size as Spencer Jones, who averaged 12 points and 4.5 rebounds last season, was out with a lower-body injury. His status remains day-to-day and whether or not he will play on Friday is unknown. Jones could be especially important on Friday considering he was not only Stanford’s best defender last season, but he has the size to matchup with Tyler Wahl. Without him, Harrison Ingram will likely draw the assignment.

Wisconsin’s first true test

Wisconsin finished last season on an unfortunate low note. They lost the Big Ten basketball title outright on the final day of the regular season, lost their quarterfinal game in the Big Ten tournament, and were out in the NCAA Tournament before the second weekend. The Badgers also lost Johnny Davis, but brought back a lot of other key pieces and look to overachieve once again.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin’s defense was excellent as they held South Dakota to just 2/15 from three. With Michael Jones shooting the way he did against Pacific, that three-point defense will be key. The Badgers also had a balanced offensive attack on Tuesday led by Tyler Wahl, who is currently second in the KenPom Player of the Year race. Granted, this is only through one day, but Wahl should take a big step forward this season with Davis gone, and if Spencer Jones is out for Stanford, he could have a massive game.

Key Matchups

Chucky Hepburn’s defensive assignment is going to be extremely important in this game. Michael O’Connell is a natural point guard, but with Hepburn’s pressure ability, he probably is more suited to be matched up with Michael Jones. Jones went off against the Cardinal the other night posting 31 points and doing it with great efficiency. If Hepburn can limit the shots Jones takes, Stanford could have a ton of trouble getting quality looks.

As previously mentioned, how Stanford handles Tyler Wahl will be really interesting. Wahl is a high-energy forward that posted 19 points and 10 rebounds while having a 40.7 %Poss against South Dakota. Whether it’s Harrison Ingram or Spencer Jones guarding Wahl is a guess at this point, but forcing Wahl to play on the perimeter will be key to Stanford’s defensive success.

Finally, the Cardinal could have a challenge on the perimeter guarding Steven Crowl. Wisconsin will definitely try to exploit James Keefe in pick-and-pop situations with Crowl, who shot nearly 32% from three last season.

Stanford has their best team on paper in a decade and getting a win in Milwaukee would prove that they’re a serious NCAA Tournament contender. However, Wisconsin’s talent development has been historically very good and its talent might just be a little ahead of Stanford. Chucky Hepburn is expected to take a big leap offensively this season and this could be a game where we see that.

Prediction: Wisconsin 68, Stanford 64