NCAA Basketball: 5 teams with the most to prove in December of 2023-24
Wisconsin Badgers
It’s been a rather interesting first month for the Wisconsin Badgers. Returning the entirety of their starting five and welcoming St. John’s transfer of AJ Storr, Greg Gard’s squad got off to a rather underwhelming start, headlined by a ten-point loss to Tennessee and a blowout loss to Providence on the road.
Wisconsin would then proceed to struggle with Robert Morris at home but found its footing as of late — triumphing over Virginia and grabbing a come-from-behind victory over SMU to win the 2023 Fort Myers Tip-Off.
Although Wisconsin is far from a finished product, specifically on the defensive end of the floor, the Badgers are presented with arguably the toughest three-game stretch in college basketball this December.
Arguably the biggest -- if not the biggest -- three-game stretch for #BadgerMBB coming up.
— Cole Amundson (@playformarch) November 30, 2023
vs. Marquette (Dec. 2)
@ Michigan State (Dec. 5)
@ Arizona (Dec. 9)
A monumental opportunity to grab Q1 victories and a tone-setter for the "official" start of conference play in Jan.
A home against Marquette followed by two road games against Michigan State and Arizona? Uh oh.
It’s a crucial three-game stretch for many reasons. On one hand, the Badgers will most likely be underdogs in these next three matchups and falling to 5-5 on the season is not ideal whatsoever, even amidst a weaker Big Ten.
On the other hand, this three-game stretch presents a colossal opportunity to grab one, two, or even three Q1 victories, which will certainly reap positive benefits to their metrics and seed line come March.
A big month lies ahead for the Badgers, nonetheless. Although they haven’t looked extremely sharp out of the gates, can they utilize their experience to grab season-impacting wins? We shall see.