Wisconsin Basketball defeated Iowa 74-63, led by 41 combined points from John Tonje and John Blackwell.
Wisconsin basketball has struggled in the first half recently, as they have trailed at the break in three of their last four games. However, the Badgers held the Hawkeyes to just 24 second half points and 38 percent shooting on the night, as Wisconsin won their third straight game.
Takeaway #1: Wisconsin is at their best when they are making threes
Wisconsin basketball was 12-for-35 from three against Iowa, and they have knocked down ten or more three pointers 14 times this season. In those 14 games, they are 11-3. Threes came from all over the floor against Iowa, as seven different Badgers connected from deep. John Blackwell and John Tonje led the team with three threes each.
This season, Wisconsin has made 36.5 percent of their three-point attempts. They are averaging 10.2 made threes per game as a team, which ranks 13th in the nation. The one concern about being reliant on the three is that they could simply have a poor shooting night in March, ending their season. This is a Wisconsin team that has won just two NCAA Tournament games since 2018.
Takeaway #2: Wisconsin’s real test begins now
Wisconsin has not played a ranked opponent since their loss to 5th ranked Marquette back on December 7th. Now, Wisconsin travels to play #7 Purdue. The Boilermakers have been red hot, having won 11 of their past 12 games after struggling to find their identity at the beginning of the season. Purdue has learned to play without a center after their 7’4 freshmen Daniel Jacobsen suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of the season. Wisconsin has struggled against smaller teams. Their last game against a “small ball” lineup was against UCLA, and Wisconsin lost by two on the road.
Looking past Purdue, the Badgers will then face #23 Illinois at home. Illinois handed a loss to Wisconsin back in December, but Illinois has lost five of their past nine games. Regardless, the next two games for the Badgers may indicate whether or not the Badgers will contend for the Big Ten title and the NCAA Tournament title.
Takeaway #3: Iowa is one of the worst teams in the Big Ten
Iowa had some promise coming into the season. There was hope that Payton Sandfort could be a lottery pick, and that Owen Freeman could supplement his play well. Unfortunately, Sandfort, who has played well, has not lived quite up to that level. After starting the season 7-1, the Hawkeyes have fallen to 13-10, having lost six of their past seven games. Given their roster’s youth, it is possible for them to develop next year. However, Sandfort will be gone, and the transfer portal looms for players like Freeman, who has averaged 16.7 points per game.
Up next for No. 16 Wisconsin basketball (19-5, 9-4): at No. 7 Purdue (19-5, 11-2) – Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. EST
Up next for Iowa basketball (13-10, 4-8): at Rutgers (12-12, 5-8) – Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. EST