The Wisconsin Badgers have secured a massive upset win over a tough Arizona Wildcats team that some thought would run through Madison.
The Badgers had not had the dominant performance the fans are truly looking for up to this point, however that changed against the Wildcats. Arizona was stalled in the first-half and trailed the Badgers by 18-points before erasing the lead in the second-half. However, Wisconsin turned the offense back up in the second-half of play and managed to pull ahead with another comfortable lead.
Arizona was largely a team that analysts felt would dominate this season and contend for a potential NCAA National Championship. Guard Caleb Love and forward Tobe Awaka are two players who can truly hurt a team in plant of ways. The Wildcats proved to be an easier test for the Badgers than originally thought, and certainly seemed at times to be a team that struggled against a strong defense.
Guard John Tonje was the big offensive presence for the Wisconsin Badgers against the Wildcats, nailing four triples. Tonje scored 41-points and looked excellent while doing so, taking intelligent shots and driving through the lane. The guard picked up plenty of fouls as well and made a killing at the free-throw line against the Wildcats defense.
Steven Crowl was the unsung hero for the team, dishing out the majority of assists for the offense and looking poised while doing so. The big man is not often in passing situations, but has excelled in the past when doing so for the Wisconsin Badgers team. Crowl finished the game with six assists for the Badgers, which led the offense against the Wildcats.
What Went Right, What Went Wrong for the Wisconsin Badgers Against Arizona
While the Wisconsin Badgers may have secured the win over the Arizona Wildcats, that does not mean everything went according to plan.
Starting on the defensive side of the ball, the Badgers allowed multiple runs to occur for the Wildcats, with one long run in the second-half in particular. Wisconsin has struggled with stopping runs throughout the season thus far and could continue to do so in the future without addressing the issue. The Badgers look a step slow at times, as if the team gasses out after going on a run themselves.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wisconsin Badgers turned the basketball over ten times which allowed Arizona to keep the game close at on point, erasing the lead. The Badgers had issues with turnovers last season and lost games due to it, but have continued to do so this season which has been concerning.
What the Wisconsin Badgers did really well was move the ball around and play a controlled style of offense all game. Wisconsin fed the ball to Tonje and made sure the guard was able to take the shot that he felt comfortable with taking.
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