The Wisconsin Badgers have secured a win over the Pittsburgh Panthers to become the 2024 Greenbrier Tip-Off Champions.
The Badgers struggled early against Pittsburgh and spent the rest of the game trapped in a tightly contested game. The Panthers slowed down the movement of the basketball in the first-half which caused the Wisconsin Badgers offense to take many contested shots. Wisconsin was not able to hit from deep through the first 11 attempts, which also contributed to the early deficit that was developed.
Transfer guard John Tonje was key to the Wisconsin Badgers coming back in the second-half as he record his second 30-point game of the season. Wisconsin truly mounted the comeback after forcing the Panthers into foul trouble at the end of the first-half of play. The Badgers were able to be far more aggressive after that point as the Panthers could not afford to lose certain players to foul trouble.
Tonje made a living at the free-throw line for the Wisconsin Badgers, going 10-for-10 from the line with four-minutes left in play leading 71-67. The guard allowed for the Badgers to begin to pull away, but Wisconsin never quite felt comfortable even down the stretch. Pittsburgh played intelligent basketball and proved why the team is considered to be the third-ranked program in the ACC.
Panthers forward Cameron Corhen was one of the players who was in foul trouble for the team who could have helped. The Wisconsin Badgers began to pull themselves back into the game when Corhen had to be subbed off. Guard Jaland Lowe was also a strong player for the Panthers and the guard consistently attacked the Wisconsin defense.
A sort of unsung hero on the Wisconsin team would have to be guard Kamari McGee who again had an excellent game off of the bench. McGee is the spark plug the Wisconsin Badgers truly need off of the bench, and the guard has gone beyond what the team expects the past few games.
What Went Right, What Went Wrong For the Wisconsin Badgers Against Pittsburgh
While the Pittsburgh Panthers might not be a team every has talked about this season, defeating them is a solid win for the Wisconsin Badgers team.
Both the UCF Knights and Pittsburgh Panthers are two teams preseason the Wisconsin Badgers felt would be tough challenges. Each team has proven to be, but Wisconsin managed to pass through each game while learning different things about the team in the process.
What did not go right against the Panthers was the pace of the offense in the first-half as the Badgers allowed Pittsburgh to control the pace of play. Wisconsin played rather scared to start the game and did not take some shots that looked like good looks. The Badgers took nearly the entire first-half to adjust the Panthers defense and that nearly was too much for the team to comeback from.
What went right for the Wisconsin Badgers was the ball movement in the second-half that ignited the offense. Tonje again proved he can score at will when needed, but it was largely due to plays created by off-ball players. Once Tonje began to attack the paint, the Wisconsin offense fed him the basketball and that is exactly the philosophy that has been working for the team this season.
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