Wisconsin basketball set the record for most threes in a single game in the Big 10 with 21. They also set the record for most points at the Kohl Center in a 116-85 win over Iowa.
The Wisconsin Badgers started the new year with fireworks against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Wisconsin took a 33-30 lead after Max Klesmit scored eight straight points and would not relent upon that lead.
Takeaway #1: The Badgers were flawless on Friday night
There is not much to critique from Wisconsin basketball. The Badgers shot 40-for-62 from the field, and went 21-for-31 from three, setting the record for most single-game three-pointers by a team in the Big 10.
Wisconsin took a 54-43 lead into halftime and followed it up with a 62-point second half. Both Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter were effective, combining for 32 points on 12-for-15 shooting.
Takeaway #2: John Blackwell showed his ability to take over a game
John Blackwell scored a career-high 32 points on Friday night. It was Blackwell’s second 30+ point performance this season. In his other 30-point game against Pittsburgh, Blackwell took over the second half against Pittsburgh. While he has been an effective distributor all season long for Wisconsin basketball, he has not taken over like he did against Iowa.
Blackwell had five assists to go along with his 32 points. He has had five assists in each of the Badgers last three games. Ball movement has been hit or miss for Blackwell: he has eight games with three or more assists, but he has had one or zero assists in the other five games. It is not just about the scoring for Blackwell… if he can continue to balance distribution along with his scoring prowess, the Badgers will be in good shape in 2025.
Takeaway #3: There was not much the Hawkeyes could have done
This was not the way the Hawkeyes wanted to begin the new year. While they did give up a lot of open threes, the fact that Wisconsin connected 21 times from beyond the perimeter is absurd.
Payton Sandfort was quiet, scoring just two points on 1-for-9 shooting is abysmal for a player that may be selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. Overall, though, this is simply a game for Iowa to forget about and move on.
Up next for Wisconsin (11-3, 1-2): at Rutgers (8-6, 1-2) – Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. EST
Up next for Iowa (10-4, 1-2): vs. Nebraska (12-2, 2-1) – Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. EST
[…] should try and replicate their performance against Iowa in every game they ever play. The Badgers were 21-for-31 from three-point land, setting a […]