The Badgers men’s basketball team will face their first real test of the season against No. 9 Arizona at home Friday night.
Here’s what the Badgers have to do to pull off the upset.
Do not fall behind early
The Badgers have had issues with starting slow this season. Across their first three games, Wisconsin has been outscored 58 to 33 in the first eight minutes of the first half.
Arizona, by contrast, might be the best first-half team in college basketball. Last year, the Wildcats averaged 41.4 points with the fifth-highest average point differential in the first half, according to TeamRankings.
This year — though it is a smaller sample size — the Wildcats are averaging 51 points in the first half and have the best first-half point differential in the country at 25.5 points per game.
Arizona will run away with the game if the Badgers come out slow.
Control the tempo
The Badgers need to disrupt Arizona’s rhythm and game flow. The Wildcats average 73.2 possessions per game, the 11th fastest in the country, while Wisconsin clocks in at 65.8 possessions per game, ranked 313th in the country.
When Arizona had less than an estimated 71.5 possessions per game last year, they suffered six out of their nine total losses.
But last year, Wisconsin went a staggering 18-1 when having fewer than 67.2 possessions per game. When the Badgers played at a fast clip — over 70 possessions per game — they went 3-6.
Less than three possessions may not seem like much of a margin, but playing at a slower pace could immensely favor the Badgers and help them come away victorious.
Do not let Caleb Love take over the game
Arizona has a talented, deep roster. Four players currently average over 11 points, and eight players average 16 or more minutes per game. The Wildcats have shown they can beat teams with their offensive depth, but Caleb Love is their superstar.
Love, a fifth-year senior, is coming off last season’s career highs in scoring, with 18 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game while also taking home the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year award.
In Wildcat wins last year, Love shot 43.4% overall and 36.2% from beyond the arc. These numbers dropped drastically during losses as Love shot 36.5% overall and 25.9% from three.
Defensively, Wisconsin must know where Love is on the court and do their best to limit him.
Get to the free-throw line early and often
Wisconsin is shooting an incredible 92.5 percent from the free-throw line this year, the fifth-highest free-throw percentage in the NCAA.
The Badgers must focus on getting to the line. Not only are they cashing in at a high rate when they do, but it helps them slow the game down which could make the Arizona offense more stagnant.
It won’t be easy for the Badgers. Arizona is well-coached and fouls at a low rate. So far this season, Wisconsin has shot 23 more free throws than their opponents across three games.
If the Badgers can get to the line and grow their free throw margin, they’ll be competitive in this game.
Come together, stay together
Wisconsin lost and replaced eight players during the off-season. The team is still building chemistry and learning how to play with each other.
Missouri transfer John Tonje and fifth-year senior Max Klesmit have been leading the offense this season, averaging 17.7 and 16.0 points per game respectively.
Although the Badgers have fallen behind early in some games, this team has yet to be put under a lot of pressure.
Wisconsin will take on Arizona at 8 p.m. at the Kohl Center on Friday night. Playing the No. 9 team in the country, emotions and tensions will be running high for the team.
If the Badgers can accomplish some of these keys to victory, they have a chance of pulling off the upset. By fighting until the last whistle and playing for each other, the team can use this game as a growing moment and unlock new heights for the rest of the season.
