Indiana is on the street once more Tuesday night time, this time to the Kohl Middle, to tackle Wisconsin. The Badgers are 17-5 and 7-4 within the Large Ten.
The competition will tip at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock:
Losers of three straight and 5 of six, Indiana heads to a venue the place it hasn’t gained since 1998: the Kohl Middle. Wisconsin’s dominance in opposition to Indiana within the constructing is well-documented and the Badgers are a wholesome favourite coming into this season’s showdown in Madison.
Regardless of a number of key switch portal losses, together with AJ Storr and Chucky Hepburn, Wisconsin sits comfortably inside the highest 20 of KenPom and is on observe for an additional NCAA event look.
Indiana isn’t out of the NCAA event image but, however the Hoosiers didn’t assist the trigger by shedding back-to-back video games in opposition to Maryland and Purdue on account of poor late-game execution.
MEET THE BADGERS
Wisconsin has one of many nation’s high 10 offenses coming into Tuesday’s recreation, in line with KenPom. The Badgers rank seventh in adjusted offensive effectivity, fueled by a low turnover price, wonderful free throw capturing, a high 50 2-point area aim proportion, and a high 65 3-point area aim proportion.
North Omaha, Nebraska native John Tonje transferred from Missouri after showing in simply eight video games final season for the Tigers on account of harm. Now in his sixth 12 months – he performed his first 4 seasons at Colorado State – the 6-foot-5 Tonje leads the Badgers in scoring at 18.6 factors per recreation. Tonje has linked on a team-high 49 3-pointers and is capturing 41.5 % from distance. He’s additionally tried 141 free throws and is capturing 92.9 % from the stripe.
Sophomore John Blackwell is within the midst of a breakout season within the Badger backcourt. The 6-foot-4 guard from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is second on the roster in scoring at 15.5 factors per recreation. Blackwell is capturing 55.6 % on 2s and 35.1 % on 3s and can be a wonderful free throw shooter at 81.3 %.
Fifth-year senior Max Klesmit completes the Wisconsin three-guard set. After connecting on almost 40 % of his 3s final season, Klesmit is capturing simply 28.2 % from distance in his remaining season. The 6-foot-4 guard, like his backcourt mates, has been stellar from the free-throw line (84.7 %).
Senior Kamari McGee is the first backup identify to know from a guard perspective. The 6-foot level guard shoots 51.4 % and averages 7.2 factors in 22 minutes off the bench.
Within the frontcourt, the Badgers are led by fifth-year senior Steven Crowl and sophomore Nolan Winter.
Crowl, a seven-footer, can step out and knock within the occasional 3-pointer however is among the many league’s most effective finishers on the rim. He’s capturing 61.6 % on 2s this season and 66 % on 2s in convention video games. Crowl’s 5.8 rebounds per recreation leads the workforce and he additionally has a team-high 13 blocked photographs.
Winter has taken on a extra important function in his second season and is without doubt one of the most effective gamers within the Large Ten. He’s third on the workforce in scoring at 10.1 factors per recreation whereas capturing 59 % from the sphere. Winter is making 70.9 % of his 2s, 39.6 % from 3 and 79.2 % from the free-throw line. He’s additionally within the high 20 within the league in offensive and defensive rebounding proportion.
Fifth-year senior Carter Gilmore offers depth within the frontcourt. A low-usage participant, the 6-foot-7 ahead averages 3.5 factors in 17 minutes per recreation.
TEMPO-FREE PREVIEW
(All stats are up to date via Sunday’s recreation and embody numbers from convention video games solely.)
Whereas Wisconsin’s type of play isn’t visually interesting, it wins many video games. The Badgers are some of the essentially sound applications within the nation and so they worth caring for the ball, defensive rebounding, and defending with out fouling.
This season, nonetheless, the Badgers have mixed these fundamentals with elite capturing. By 11 Large Ten video games, Wisconsin is first within the league in 3-point capturing at 39.1 %. The Badgers additionally lead the convention in free-throw capturing (81.1 %) and are fifth in 2-point area aim proportion (54.6).
No Large Ten workforce is getting the next proportion of its factors from 3 in Large Ten play than Wisconsin (42 %). In league play, 49.7 % of Wisconsin’s area aim makes an attempt have been 3s. Over its final 4 video games, Wisconsin is averaging 13.5 made 3-pointers per recreation.
WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO
Wisconsin is a double-digit favourite. KenPom tasks an 11-point victory for the Badgers and an 18 % probability of an IU win. Bart Torvik’s numbers favor Wisconsin by 12, with a 14 % probability of a Hoosier upset.
The Badgers are 11-1 within the Kohl Middle this season. Their lone defeat got here in opposition to Michigan, 67-64, on Dec. 3.
Whereas Indiana has been enjoying higher currently and has been aggressive in every of its final three losses, that is unlikely to be the 12 months it snaps its shedding streak in Madison.
Filed to: Wisconsin Badgers
