Quick hits: Nolan Winter's double-double leads Wisconsin Badgers to exhibition win over UW-Platteville

Adding over 10 pounds to his frame, with the goal of adding another 10, Winter joked over the summer that rarely an hour went by without him eating something. He didn't devour the Sooners in Milwaukee, shooting just 5-for-13 from the floor and grabbing just five rebounds.

He was more aggressive and productive in game two, going 8-for-11 shooting, notching his double-double midway through the second half, and adding three assists and no turnovers.

Winter's offense wasn't the only noticeable improvement. After the execution of UW's defense was well below expectations, understandable considing seven players were making their UW debuts, the Badgers were stingier against an undersized Division-3 opponent.

After seeing the Sooners shoot 51.8 percent, UW limited the Pioneers to 36.2. However, it was a two-point game with 9:19 remaining in part because UW was sloppy with the ball (15 turnovers) and didn't take advantage of free throws (9-for-19).

The Badgers quieted the upset with a 12-0 run to lead 59-45 with 5:21 remaining, ironically going 6-for-6 from the line during the stretch.

What it means: Wednesday's exhibition was the completely opposite from Friday, as the Badgers played most solid defensively against the Pioneers but struggled with their efficiency on offense. With seven new players in the rotation, the Badgers now have to iron out the wrinkles with games that count for real.

Star of the game: These are the games and opponents where Winter has to be a force, which is what he did to make sure the Badgers got the winning feeling in the locker room before the season.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin was only 6-for-25 from three-point range, including 1-for-10 in the second half. For a team built on hitting three-pointers, that's substandard production.

Reason to be Concerned: Wisconsin led the nation with an 82.57 free-throw shooting percentage last season. This year's team does not appear like it'll challenge that mark. While going 13-for-18 against the Sooners was respectable, the Badgers went 9-for-19 from the line.

Don’t overlook: With Wisconsin knowing it needs to cultivate depth in the frontcourt following the dismissal of Elijah Gray, the Badgers still stuck with a 10-man rotation with freshmen forwards Aleksas Bieliauskas (eight minutes) and Will Garlock (six) getting most of the minutes and scoring a total of two points.

What’s next: Wisconsin will open its 128th season with a five-game homestand starting Monday when it hosts Campbell at the Kohl Center. First-year head coach John Andrzejek joins the Fighting Camels fresh off winning a national championship as an assistant at Florida and will have a rebuilding project on his hands. Campbell was 15-17 last season with an offense that tied for 292nd in scoring and tied for 390th in rebounding, a reason the program was active in the portal.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the game being streamed on BigTenPlus