Wisconsin Badgers
Ball State
Starting Five: No. 24 Badgers battle Ball State
November 09, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Badgers seek second-consecutive 3-0 start
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 24 Wisconsin men’s basketball team squares off with Ball State in the third game of its season on Tuesday at the Kohl Center. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and tickets are available on UWBadgers.Com.
UW looks to go 3-0 for the fifth time under head coach Greg Gard and are trying to open with three straight wins in back-to-back seasons.
Fans that can’t make it to Madison can watch on Big Ten Network or listen on the Badger Radio Network as Matt Lepay and Brian Butch have the call.
LAST TIME OUT
The Badgers improved to 2-0 last Friday with an emphatic 97-72 win over Northern Illinois. UW also posted 96 points in their opener against Campbell, marking the first time since 1993-94 that Bucky has scored 90-plus in the season’s first two games. Wisconsin led wire-to-wire against the Huskies, getting out to a 12-2 lead in the first three minutes and not looking back. UW shot 49.2% from the field, while outrebounding NIU 15-4 on the offensive glass. Bucky was protective of the basketball, only turning it over nine times for the second-straight game. That’s right on par with their 2024-25 Big Ten leading figure of 9.6 turnovers per game.
THE Bs ARE BUZZING
The revamped UW backcourt of junior John Blackwell and transfer Nick Boyd has accounted for 48% of the Badgers scoring this season. The duo have each scored 46 points overall, tied for second most in the program through two games (Since 2005). Only UW Hall of Famer Alando Tucker has scored more in the season’s first two games, posting 48 to start the 2005-06 campaign.
Blackwell got his season off with a near-career high 31 points against Campbell, then tallied 15 points and 6 rebounds in the win over NIU. Boyd had the brunt of production Friday, scoring a career-high 25 points on 8-of-16 shooting.
AGAINST THE CARDINALS
Wisconsin and Ball State have faced off eight times in history with the Badgers holding a 6-2 series lead. Their latest contest came in 1999 as Bucky took down the Cardinals 60-50 on Nov. 20. The two sides share a history dating back to 1936, when Wisconsin won 38-33 in the first ever matchup.
SALUTE TO SERVICE
The Veteran’s Day matchup with Ball State marks the annual Military Appreciation Game. The game is dedicated to recognizing and honoring those who have served. Wisconsin will be giving away 5,000 rally towels in collaboration with Heating and Housing for Heros. Bucky won its Military Appreciation Day game 87-56 last season against Appalachian State at the Kohl Center.
Spark plug ?? pic.twitter.com/ekHczxbEXS
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 9, 2025
JACK’S MASTERED TRADE
Sophomore returner Jack Janicki leads the Big Ten in steals through two games, notching seven overall. He nabbed four in the opener against Campbell, and three against NIU, including a steal turned into his own transition dunk on the other end. Mike Kelley holds the program season record with 95 takeaways, while Chucky Hepburn tallied 73 during the 2023-24 campaign - the most in the Greg Gard era. For reference, Hepburn only had four steals through the first two games of that season. Last season Janicki had 15 total steals in 37 games.
