The Badgers had one major victory over the weekend, which will be a building block going forward.
The Wisconsin Badgers won their fourth game of the season last Friday, upsetting the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats 103-88. The Badgers beat a top-10 team in the nation in what was a high-scoring thriller of a game.
Arizona came into this season as an early national champion favorite as a new member of the Big 12. Head coach Greg Gard and his squad executed their game plan to perfection all night and were able to finish the job by capturing the win.
Here’s what went right for Wisconsin in their 103-88 win over Arizona.
John Tonje
John Tonje. Tonje scored an impressive 41 points against the Arizona Wildcats, coming up only three points shy of Frank Kaminsky’s single-game record. He was elite from beyond the arc, but was most effective when attacking the basket. The Wildcats could not find a way to defend him, which led to Tonje attempting 22 free throws. He sank 21 of those which was another key reason the Badgers won this game.
Tonje has emerged as not only the Badgers’ best player, but as one of the best players in all of the Big Ten. His efficiency both in the paint and from three-point range is so impressive and important for Wisconsin.
They lost a lot of scoring output when AJ Storr transferred, yet it seems like they may have upgraded at the position with the addition of Tonje. Tonje has been excellent all season, but last Friday’s game proved that his strong start wasn’t a fluke and that he can be a star player for this Badgers squad even against better competition.
Free throws
Wisconsin has gone to the free throw line 100 times this season. They’ve made 90% (or 90) of those shots. Wisconsin leads the country in free throw percentage and leads the second-best team, UNC, by 4.8 percent.
The Badgers’ ability to attack the basket and create opportunities both in the paint and at the free-throw line has improved immensely from last season and has helped them get off to a much hotter start this year.
Expect this trend to continue as Coach Gard has expressed how important it is for this team to be aggressive and generate trips to the free throw line.
Three-point excellence continues
As I mentioned before, Greg Gard has made it clear that three-point shooting is a strength of this team. He has said over and over that this Badgers squad will take as many good three-point attempts as they can. That became clear in this game. When the Badgers weren’t scoring at the free-throw line, chances are they were drilling three-pointers.
Players like John Tonje, Jack Janicki, and Xavier Amos all had clutch shots to help Wisconsin extend their lead over the Arizona Wildcats. If this level of three-point shooting is sustainable, this Badgers team will be a real offensive threat not only for the Big Ten, but for the rest of the country.
Wisconsin takes on UT-Rio Grande Valley tomorrow night as they hope to start off this season 5-0. Expect them to take as many threes as possible as well as continue their excellence at the free throw line.