Wisconsin is looking for more offensive consistency from its revamped roster when it hosts Fairfield on Tuesday in Madison, Wis.
Wisconsin (2-0) held off Delaware 73-64 with all five starters scoring in double figures. Fairfield (1-1), picked No. 1 in the Metro Conference preseason poll, is coming off a 68-59 win Sunday against Bryant.
Owen Foxwell, who played the last five seasons in the Australian National Basketball League, and Braeden Carrington had 16 points apiece for the Badgers. Victory Onuetu had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
“Some good things, but obviously a lot of things we’ll continue to get better at and work at,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said following the Delaware game.
The Badgers have eight new players on a team that finished 24-11 last season, but was upset by No. 12 seed High Point, 83-82 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Carrington is averaging a team-best 15.5 points, hitting seven of the Badgers 16 3-pointers. Foxwell is averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 assists and Eian Elmer, who transferred after helping Miami (Ohio) to a 31-0 regular-season, is averaging 14.5 points.
The Badgers average 74.0 points per game, allowing 66.0.
Fairfield, which opened with a 79-67 loss to Vermont, forced 20 turnovers against Bryant, including 17 steals. The Stags converted the miscues into 28 points.
“We still have plenty to work on, which is true for any team in this early part of the season, but we took a big step forward from Thursday to today,” Fairfield coach Chris Casey said afterward. “We just need to continue to do that every day as we go through the non-conference part of our season.”
Declan Wucherpfennig, the Metro Conference Preseason Player of the Year, had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Wucherpfennig is averaging 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Cole Edelen averages 12.5 points and Tony Williams 10.5.
The Stags are shooting just 39.8%, including 26.5% beyond the arc, making 9 of 34 long-range attempts.
