Wisconsin Basketball: Youth shines in blowout win over Eastern Illinois

Wisconsin basketball gets their first win of the season over Eastern Illinois.

It’s been 263 days since we have had Wisconsin basketball in our lives and at 9:00 PM on Wednesday night. In case you didn’t stay up for the whole game because you had to get some sleep before Thanksgiving, we got you covered. Wisconsin hosted Eastern Illinois in their first game of the season and defeated the Panthers 77-67.

Nathan Reuvers led all Wisconsin scorers with 18 points. But like games last year, the scoring was pretty well distributed. Trice had 11 points, but also added five assists without a turnover. Potter added 11 points after a slow start and Davison had six points on 2-of-8 shooting.

It’s common knowledge that Wisconsin has a wealth of experience at their disposal. They have six seniors who will be playing meaningful minutes this year. But what a lot of college basketball fans may not know is that they also have a good amount of youth.

Sophomore Tyler Wahl was a big piece for the Badgers off the bench, especially in the second half. Wisconsin was in a bit of a slump before Wahl provided a spark, hitting back to back shots, including a nice dunk on a dime from Ben Carlson.

Four freshmen got playing time tonight in the Badger’s win over the Panthers. Ben Carlson and Johnny Davis each had a nice collegiate debut. They combined for 21 points. Steven Crowl and walk-on freshman Carter Gilmore also got a little playing time. Crowl scored two points while on cleanup duty for the Badgers.

Wisconsin was up the entire game and had a 23-point halftime lead. They started the second half off a little cold and let the Panthers get back within 14 points before they put their foot on the gas and put their opponents away.

By the end of the game, the Badgers had Trevor Anderson out on the floor with three freshmen and sophomore Joe Hedstrom. Eastern Illinois took advantage and hit a few late threes while keeping the Badgers off the scoreboard in the final few minutes.

So it really wasn’t as close as the final score shows. This game was well in hand for most of the night. This was a good quality win for the Badgers. Eastern Illinois isn’t a slouch of a program. They will likely have a nice season in the Ohio Valley Conference this year.

With their first win under their belt, the Wisconsin basketball team will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Friday in another late-night game at 8:00 PM on BTN.