Just the way Greg Gard drew it up, the Wisconsin Badgers are 2-0 to start the new hoops season. And in both wins, a different player has stepped up to deliver with things a bit closer than some people anticipated.
In the season-opening win, it was John Tonje who looked brilliant for Gard. Then against Montana State on Thursday night, senior guard Max Klesmit looked absolutely tremendous with the ball in his hands, which was awesome to see.
With Wisconsin coming out on top in this one, Klesmit led the way with his 26 points in 36 minutes of action. Klesmit was 7-of-15 from the floor, but an impressive 6-of-11 from downtown. His 3-point shooting was on point, which will be needed for the rest of the campaign.
Max Klesmit tied his #Badgers career high with 26 points against Montana State.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) November 8, 2024
"Shooters shoot. And he was obviously feeling it tonight." pic.twitter.com/gIzzAfZFHH
Wisconsin guard Max Klesmit looked superb in the Badgers win over Montana State
Those are the kinds of numbers fans want to see out of Klesmit moving forward. When he catches fire, it's bad news for an opposing defense. At the same time, whenever he gets confident, it's also going to be a problem for anyone trying to contain him.
In the win over Holy Cross earlier in the week, he had a bit of a quiet night, posting just seven points. However, he bounced back in the best way possible for this team against Montana State, as there was no answer for slowing him down.
Klesmit started his career with the Wofford Terriers, but then transferred to Madison ahead of the 2022-23 season. This is his third campaign for Wisconsin - he averaged just under 10 points per game in 2023-24.
This winter, Gard is going to rely on him to be a leader for this team and keep shooting the ball well. We got a great taste of what he'll be able to get done moving forward in the win over Montana State. Let's hope he can keep playing at a high level and do so with confidence.