The Wisconsin basketball team is coming off a tough loss to #13 Illinois, but despite the loss the team did plenty of things right.
Wisconsin basketball came into their game against Illinois desperate for a win after dropping a close match-up versus Indiana. While the Badgers were unable to get the win they have been seeking, Wisconsin showed strides and promised once again that the team from the first half of the season could emerge once again. The Badgers hope to put it all together when they take on Rutgers in Madison on February 7th.
Wisconsin Basketball Drops Tough Game Versus #13 Illinois Following Late 7-0 Run
Wisconsin basketball came out swinging against a strong, ranked Illinois Fighting Illini team that did not want to snap their winning streak against the Badgers. Wisconsin lost six-straight match-ups against Illinois heading into their most recent clash, and looked like they had the ability to take down their ranked opponent. The Badgers started the game with a 7-0 run, and held a seven-point lead at the halfway point of the first half of play.
Illinois fought their way back into the game with two big three-point jumpers before going on a run of their own and taking the lead, 39-37, heading into the half. The second half was a different story for Wisconsin basketball, however, as Illinois went on a series of runs. Wisconsin spent the entirety of the second half crawling back from each deficit only to allow Illinois to once again go on a run.
In the end, Wisconsin could not pull ahead in the second half and lost the game, 91-83, after Illinois pulled off a 7-0 run to place the dagger in the Badgers comeback efforts.
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: What Went Right Against Illinois
While Wisconsin did not walk away with the win at home, there were still some aspects of the game that the Badgers did right. Firstly, Wisconsin basketball played cohesively and confidently in the first half of play as they controlled the pace of play and did not rush on offense. Wisconsin shot 14-of-26 from the field in the first half and recorded a handful of trips to the foul line as well.
In the first half of play when Wisconsin basketball did not force shots and worked the opposing defense, they were clinical finishers. However, the key to beating Illinois for Wisconsin was their defense as Illinois has plenty of shooters on their squad.
Entering the game against the Fighting Illini, Wisconsin needed to stop Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr who has been the heart of the Illinois offense. That task proved to be incredibly difficult for Wisconsin as Shannon Jr nailed three big long-range shots in the first half that allowed Illinois to take the lead. While the Badgers could not completely stop Shannon Jr, they forced the guard to move the ball and have other players take shots, which seemed to stump their offense at first.
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball: What Went Wrong Against Illinois
There is no doubt that a lot went wrong for the Wisconsin basketball team against Illinois, and that started and ended with their closeout defense. Wisconsin allowed Illinois to shoot 56.3% from three-point range, which is a difficult mark to comeback from when the opposing team scores 27-points exclusively from long-range.
The other issue Wisconsin had involving their closeout defense was their ability to challenge and contest shots without fouling. The Badgers sent the Fighting Illini to the foul line for 30 shots, and Illinois did not miss as they converted 24 of their opportunities. Wisconsin basketball allowed far too many free buckets against Illinois, and combining that with their foul problems makes it nearly impossible for the offense to crawl back into games.
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