Earlier this season, Wisconsin fell to UCLA in an 83-85 loss. The Badgers got revenge against the Bruins on Friday, steamrolling past them in an 86-70 rout and advancing to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament for the second consecutive season.
Wisconsin was hot right out of the gate, and their first 12 points all came off of 3-pointers. That became the theme of the afternoon, as the Badgers drained threes at will all day long and scored over 80 points for the first time in two weeks.
There’s a lot to unpack from Friday’s historic victory. Here are the biggest takeaways from the Badgers’ win over the Bruins.
Raining 3s
“Raining” is an understatement. It was a torrential downpour against the Bruins as the Badgers hit 19 3s, tying the Big Ten Tournament record for most 3-pointers in a game. John Tonje led the onslaught with 26 total points, including going a perfect 6/6 on 3-point attempts. Wisconsin was unstoppable from beyond the arc today, sinking an astounding 59.4% of their 3-point attempts.
The Badgers’ success from behind the 3-point line today is an extremely encouraging sign for this team. After struggling during Max Klesmit’s absence, it seems like head coach Greg Gard’s crew has finally regained their rhythm with their 3-point shots, a trademark for this team that has made them such a threat all season long.
Success against the press
Wisconsin’s kryptonite on offense this season has been against the press. It was exploited heavily in their loss against Oregon when they squandered an 11-point lead late in the game and were held to just 28 points in the second period. UCLA used the same strategy early on during Friday’s game, implementing a half-court press on defense from the get-go. The Badgers conquered their demons, and the Bruins had no answer for Wisconsin’s elite passing and effortless 3-pointers.
How the Badgers respond to the press defense has been one of the biggest concerns for this team when it comes time to play for all the marbles in the NCAA Tournament. It has been one of their few weak points on offense and has disrupted their rhythm and ability to control games. Their win over UCLA is a good indication that Wisconsin is more confident now against the press than they were a month ago and that they’re prepared to face anything that opposing defenses throw at them going forward.
Defense steps up
Wisconsin’s defense, currently ranked 32nd in the NCAA in defensive efficiency according to Kenpom, has been another question mark this season. There have been no doubts about the offense, but there were concerns about whether the defense would be able to carry its weight. They stepped up big, holding UCLA to 32.4% on field goal attempts and racking up 31 defensive rebounds.
The Bruins are by no means an offense that lights up the floor, as they ranked 14th in the Big Ten this season. They’ll face a tougher offense in Michigan State, a team that specializes in fast breaks and can quickly tire opposing defenses out. Today’s game will be a huge test for this Badgers defense and will provide some insight into how battle-tested this unit is for March Madness.
Wisconsin’s huge win over UCLA sent them to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the second straight year. The last time the Badgers accomplished such a feat was with the 2014-15 squad that reached back-to-back Final Fours.
