Louisville basketball: 3 matchups for 2020 ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Wisconsin

Busting Brackets Big Ten Power Ranking: No. 2

If the powers that be determine that a new intriguing matchup that they have yet to see should be made, I don’t think they could up with a better combination than Louisville and Wisconsin.

In the last decade both the Cardinals and Badgers have been two of the most winningest programs in college basketball, with both making multiple final four appearances as well as a trip to the National Championship. In fact, Sporting News ranked Wisconsin as the 13th best team in college basketball since the year 2010, with Louisville being at number seven. Both had legendary hall-of-fame coaches who reached the highest level of success in two of the most notorious conferences only to see their careers come to an end in rather odd ways with their long-term replacements stepping in and winning at a high level.

The two programs have met just one time before way back in 1978 when the Cards toppled the Badgers 70-53. With both teams returning the bulk of their teams along with high expectations, including being top 25 teams, why not give the matchup a shot?

Wisconsin will return five of their top six returning scorers in 2020 from a team that won their final eight games of the season on way to the clinching a share of the Big Ten title. Headlined by big man Nate Reuvers, who stepped into the lead scoring role last season, the Badgers will welcome back guards D’Mitrik Trice and Brad Davison, as well as forwards Aleem Ford and Micah Potter.

Head coach Greg Gard will also add his highest-rated recruiting class since taking over for Bo Ryan at Wisconsin, to a strong veteran core. While traditionally the Badgers haven’t gotten a ton of production from freshman, a group headlined by four-star big man, Ben Carlson, could make them even more dangerous in 2020-21.

So what about the matchup?

We all know that Wisconsin plays a unique style of basketball that a young Louisville team could have struggles dealing with that early on in the season. Wisconsin always has an elite stretch big who is more than capable of dropping 20 and 10 on any given night, doing so from inside and outside. That role is held down by Nate Reuvers, and with the unknowns at the four with JaeLyn Withers and Quinn Slazinski, he could be a major problem for the Cards.  You also have to wonder how the rest of the lineup will deal with strong, veteran guard play as well as a versatile and athletic five-man in Potter.

You’d be hard-pressed, however, to find a player on the Badgers roster with the size, athleticism, and overall skilly and talent of Sam Williamson, and considering all the matchup possibilities Chris Mack has under his belt with guards David Johnson and Carlik Jones, I’d like the chances of the Cards beating Wisconsin.

Wisconsin is as fundamentally sound as they come and a team who won’t be beaten easily with their ability to take care of the basketball and stay within themselves. In a game on the road, Louisville’s young group would have a very tough test early on that could help their development regardless of the outcome.