Saint Mary’s vs. Wisconsin is a very exciting mid-major vs. high-major matchup on opening night (Nov. 5) that you don’t want to miss. There are some great storylines to note heading into this game.

Outside of the Champions Classic games, this is one of the most intriguing matchups on. Saint Mary’s is ranked 20th in the country and is taking on a solid Wisconsin team that currently finds itself unranked.

Both teams would benefit greatly and have their NCAA Tournament resumes bolstered on day one with a victory. With that, before these two squads tip-off, let’s dive into the storylines that make this game so important.

This is a huge neutral site game

This game between the Saint Mary’s Gaels and Wisconsin Badgers is being played in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It is very fitting that these two squads that pride themselves on toughness and grit will be battling it out in rugged South Dakota. It is also great because it is a game that I think would be one by either team if they had the home-court advantage.

If playing in the Kohl Center in Madison Wisconsin, a venue that tends to get crazy for Badger basketball, I feel like Wisconsin would handle the Gaels. On the other hand, if the game was played in McKeon Pavilion on the campus of Saint Mary’s, despite the maximum capacity of only 3500, the home-court advantage would be enough to give the Gaels the edge.

With that said, neither team is granted this advantage. I imagine some fans from each team may make the trip, but the majority of the spectators will be locals. This will lend it to being a very fun matchup because neither team has to worry about the stress of playing in too hostile of an environment. Also, I am certain that the team that wins this game is truly the better team.