More than a rivalry win will be on the line Saturday when No. 12 Minnesota (3-3 Big Ten, 15-4 overall) comes to the Kohl Center to square off against Wisconsin (4-2, 13-6).
The Gophers dropped their third-straight game Wednesday night in Evanston, Ill., to Northwestern. Similarly, the Badgers have dropped two consecutive games after bolting out to a 4-0 start in the Big Ten. In a conference that currently has five teams ranked in the Associated Press top 25, it is imperative to avoid prolonged losing streaks.
In a game that certainly could be decided in the final possessions, solid free throw shooting will be paramount Saturday. The Badgers’ recent woes from the charity stripe have been a talking point this week, and for good reason—UW is shooting just 52 percent in Big Ten games
However, redshirt senior forward Jared Berggren said the team has shot free throws well in practice. The Princeton, Minn., native is without an explanation as to why that success hasn’t carried over into UW’s games.
“I don’t know what it is,” Berggren said. “We just gotta step up and knock them down when the lights are on and when it counts.”
Despite Wisconsin’s struggles, Berggren is confident the Badgers’ poor free throw shooting won’t be an area of concern by season’s end.
“I still feel like we’re gonna turn the corner here,” Berggren said. “Hopefully by the end of the year we’ll look back and think, ‘What the heck was that about?"
A common theme in basketball is that, if a player is struggling from the field, he can get back on track by getting fouled and knocking down free throws. The thought is that by simply seeing the ball go through the net, the player builds confidence. Improved free throw shooting from Wisconsin could benefit its efficiency on offense.
“Any time you can get easy ones from the free throw line or some inside touches—layups, things like that—a lot of times people can build off that offensively,” he said.
Wisconsin has been stout defensively in conference play, save for perhaps its 70-66 loss in Iowa City. The Gophers lead the nation in offensive rebounding, keeping possessions alive more than 14 times per game.
Sophomore guard Traevon Jackson said keeping Minnesota off of the offensive glass will be a big point of emphasis Saturday.
“It’s huge because they feed off of that,” Jackson said. “They can take not necessarily good shots, but they know that they’ll be okay because they can get the ball right that.”
Berggren agreed, saying Minnesota’s success on the offensive glass could simply be attributed to its hard work.
“They have a lot of guys that can jump out of the gym,” Berggren said. “A lot of it’s just a mindset, too—they’re just aggressive going after it.”
Whether it’s knocking down free throws, limiting the Gophers to one shot per possession or another variable, Wisconsin will have to deal with a team just as desperate for a win Saturday.
Tip is set for 1 p.m.
