Wisconsin Dominates Campbell in 96-64 Opening Night Victory
MADISON, Wis. — The No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers’ basketball season opened with a 96-64 win over Campbell at the Kohl Center on Monday night. On the first day of the 2025-26 college basketball season, Wisconsin starts 1-0.
The trio of Nick Boyd (21 points), John Blackwell (31 points) and Nolan Winter (17 points, 12 rebounds) would lead a high-scoring offense for the Badgers as they’d pull away in the final minutes. Those three, along with Austin Rapp (13 points), would finish in double figures.
Blackwell’s 30-ball was the biggest bright spot. The junior guard was picking his spots perfectly and playing so well off of his teammates. He has the chance to be one of the top players in the country, proven by his performance on opening night.
Defense Struggled to Start, But Offense Kept Wisconsin Afloat
After watching the first game, along with some exhibition matches, defense is the biggest concern for the Badgers. The game started with them giving up 11 points in less than five minutes, but fortunately, the offense that was so historic last season is back.
Wisconsin gave up 38 first-half points as Campbell shot 59% from the floor, but the home team responded with 48 of their own on 50% shooting. The story of the offense was paint touches, as 30 of those 48 were within the paint. Six were free throws.
Blackwell certainly made himself known in the first half with 17 points (5-9 shooting). His backcourt teammate, Boyd, also poured in 11 points (5-11 shooting). A Campbell four-point play cut the lead to 10 at the break, as DJ Smith put up 16 points in 17 minutes.
The second half opened with Wisconsin notching nine points in four minutes, as the scoring would continue to be a major strength. However, the Fighting Camels would keep responding.
Badgers Respond to a Campbell Run With Elite Two-Way Play
In these contests, it’s not just about winning for the Badgers; it’s about winning in convincing fashion. A stretch of four turnovers in just over three minutes led to Campbell making the game interesting halfway through the second half. That trend would continue for a bit before momentum set in for the Badgers.
A four-minute scoring drought led Campbell back into the game, cutting the Wisconsin lead to five points with under eight minutes to go. However, Blackwell would end a four-minute scoring drought with a layup, sparking an 11-0 run.
The Fighting Camels would fail to score a field goal for the game after the 10:35 mark, while Wisconsin would force a total of 17 turnovers.
The Badgers will take on Northern Illinois at the Kohl Center in their next matchup on Friday.
