No.6 Wisconsin Returns to its Roots To Pummel No.21 Minnesota, 71-59
MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin is back on track in the Big Ten.
Three days after backing away from its fundamentals in a home loss to unranked Maryland, No.6 Wisconsin tightened the screws on No.21 Minnesota to put on a defensive clinic in a 71-59 victory at the Kohl Center.
Senior Micah Potter registered a double-double for the Badgers (9-2, 3-1 Big Ten) but the story was the defensive intensity that lasted a full 40 minutes. Facing a team averaging 84.3 points per game, Wisconsin held Minnesota (9-2, 2-2) to 31.3 percent from the floor and 7-for-31 from 3-point range.
We take a closer look at the game in the BadgerBlitz Stat Pack.
- Wisconsin was locked in defensively from the opening tip. The Badgers held the Gophers to 6-for-31 (19.4 percent) from the floor, 21.4 percent (3-for-14) from the 3-point line and forced seven turnovers in the opening half. When the final horn sounded, the Badgers had held the Gophers to five fast-break points and .937 points per possession.
- In addition to Potter’s 18 points, Wisconsin got 14 points (6-for-10 shooting) each from prep teammates D’Mitrik Trice and Aleem Ford. Jonathan Davis added eight points off the bench, including a pretty swipe off Minnesota point guard Marcus Carr that he completed with a one-handed flush on the other end.
- Speaking of Carr, who came into the game averaging 29.0 points, the Badgers made him look ordinary with 10 points (3-for-13), five rebounds and four fouls. He scored five of those points in the final 2:22 when the game was well decided.
- After showing an unwillingness at times to attack the low post in its Monday loss to Maryland, Wisconsin showed a reluctance to do anything but touch the paint. UW’s first six possessions were nothing but post feeds to Potter and Nate Reuvers. Even with Minnesota registering three blocks on the first three possessions, the Badgers still pounded the ball with seniors Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers in the lane.
- While Reuvers found little luck, Potter scored five early points on his five shots, including cleaning up two second-chance opportunities. He also had five of his game-high 11 rebounds early, giving him his second double-double on the season.
- Not only was Wisconsin’s post offense more noticeable, the Badgers were more committed to their low-post defense. Even despite having a size disadvantage on switches (like the 6-4 Brad Davison guarding the 7-0 Liam Robbins), the Badgers held the Gophers to two points in the paint on their first 21 possessions, five missed lay-ins around the rim and no field goals for 6 minutes, 50 seconds.
- Even with the upgraded defense, the Badgers missed opportunity to build a sizable margin. Potter had multiple high-quality looks around the rim that didn’t fall and UW rushed a couple of possessions that resulted in missed 3-point shots, instead of one-on-one matchups in the post. Those early misses became moot in the final 20 minutes.
- Grabbing an offensive rebound on the first shot of the second half, Reuvers’ turnaround jumper over Robbins was a spark for Wisconsin. The Badgers opened the half on a 16-5 run to take an 18-point lead. Ford scored eight points in the run, two on a drive to the rim off a feed from Trice and a pair of 3-point shots. UW made 8 of its first 10 shots to start the half, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
- The shots kept falling for Wisconsin and kept clanging off the rim for the Gophers, who at the 7:14 mark had 14 fouls, 12 made baskets and nine turnovers. Juxtapose to Wisconsin who had 26 baskets, 10 fouls and six turnovers at the same time, a big reason for the 60-36 lead.
- Wisconsin shot 65.4 percent in the second half and finished the game 50.8 from the floor, benefited by going 15-for-20 on point-blank shots.
- The Badgers return to the court Sunday to play a road game at Penn State. Tipoff is at 11 a.m. and will be televised by the Big Ten Network.