In a game the Wisconsin Badgers needed badly, they defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes in Madison tonight 64-52. The Badgers took advantage of a bad shooting night from the Hawkeyes. While Wisconsin didn’t shoot well either, they were able to close the game at the free-throw line. Connor Essegian led the Badgers with 17 points. Here are three takeaways from tonight’s Wisconsin-Iowa game as the NCAA Tournament approaches.
Wisconsin: Sloppy Early, Takes Care of Ball Late
Four turnovers in less than four minutes for the #Badgers.
They average about eight per game.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) February 23, 2023
After a quick bucket from Steven Crowl to start the game, Wisconsin got lazy with the ball. The Badgers committed five turnovers before the first media timeout. Connor Essegian dropped a few passes, and Tyler Wahl had some uncharacteristic turnovers too. Wisconsin turnovers led to nine of the first 10 Iowa points.
After the first media timeout, the Badgers only committed six turnovers the rest of the game. Wisconsin is one of the best teams in the country at not turning the ball over. Credit Wisconsin for adjusting to the consistent pressure Iowa put on after made baskets.
Wisconsin Kept Iowa’s Kris Murray Quiet
Going into Wisonsin-Iowa, I was nervous about how the Badgers would defend Kris Murray. Murray came into tonight averaging over 20 points a game. Tonight, Murray only scored five points and never got into a rhythm. It didn’t help he had to sit in the first half after picking up two fouls, but Wisconsin did a good job, for the most part finding him and keeping him in check.
It was a rough night for the Iowa offense as a whole. For a team that averaged 80 points a game, the Hawkeyes only shot 32% from the field and a stunning 2-25 from three. The Badgers didn’t shoot the three much better at 4-18, but they did shoot 52% for the game. Yes, this team caught a break tonight from Iowa’s offense, but their defense was really good from the tip. THis is something they’ll need if they want to make a push at the NCAA Tournament.
Every Game Continues To Matter Towards NCAA Tournament Hopes
The Badgers got a win tonight they needed to have in this Wisconsin-Iowa showdown. The rest of the schedule is not easy moving forward. A trip to Ann Arbor waits for the Badgers Sunday. Next week, they welcome Big Ten-leading Purdue, then a finale at Minnesota. Despite being 1-15 in the Big Ten, this is not a game the Badgers can take lightly.
The Badgers still have work to do on their NCAA Tournament resume. They have the Quad one wins to get in, but now they need to stack up wins. Michigan will be tough, but they have a shot at stealing a road win. Purdue is just a bad matchup overall, and Minnesota they can’t lose. If you can beat either Michigan or Purdue and then Minnesota, I would feel better once Selection Sunday comes around in a few weeks.
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