The Wisconsin basketball team has been a shell of what they were early in the season, but perhaps confidence is what the team needs to succeed.
In the 2023 portion of the Wisconsin basketball season, the Badgers were a dominant team that climbed into the top-ten schools in the country. However, the Badgers have since dropped dramatically since conference play started which has greatly affected their record. Wisconsin basketball has not looked like themselves since January, and that is largely due to their lack of offensive confidence.
Wisconsin Basketball Suffering From a Major Lack of Shooting Confidence
This season for Wisconsin basketball has been an interesting one considering the amount of ups and downs the Badgers have faced. With just potentially a handful of games left for Wisconsin, the Badgers need to do something to address their current offensive issues. Wisconsin basketball has had their fair share of difficulties shooting the basketball over the past month, and it seems largely due to a lack of confidence within the team.
Wisconsin started off the year with big offensive performances, such as their 88-point win against Nebraska or their 75-point performance against #3 Marquette. Since February arrived, the Badgers only managed two 80-point performances against the 10th and 13th ranked defenses in the conference in Illinois and Iowa, respectively.
In the last 11 games the Badgers have played, they have averaged 71.6 points per game with a record of 3-8. In the previous 11 games, Wisconsin basketball averaged 77.9 points per game while finishing with a record of 9-2. There is no doubt the defense has also struggled for Wisconsin, but to have the offense and defense struggle at both times is a recipe for disaster for the Badgers.
How Can the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Team Fix Their Shooting Issues?
For Wisconsin basketball, their shooting issues this season have started and ended at the three-point line. While Wisconsin has had their fair share of missed free-throws and air-balled easy layups, missing an automatic three points has been a much more harmful issue.
During their notable four-game losing streak, Wisconsin basketball shot 24.55% from long-range against their opponents. Wisconsin currently ranks tenth in the Big Ten Conference with a shooting percentage from deep of 33.9%. As a comparison, Purdue leads the conference, shooting 41.1% from deep and averaging 8.5 made triples per game.
That is not to say that Wisconsin basketball can only win when they nail three-point shots, as the Badgers have won games this season shooting 23.5% from deep. However, in order for Wisconsin to compete against top programs who nail the open shots, Wisconsin needs to do the same. The Badgers do not necessarily need to create more long-range shots, but rather need to convert the open looks the defense has given them.
Wisconsin Hoping for a Successful Big Ten Conference Tournament Showing
There is nothing that can help increase the Badgers confidence like winning games at this point in the season. The Badgers endured quite a terrible slump compared to the glory they saw early in the season, and it is clear the losses have gotten to the players. Wisconsin basketball truly needs a solid showing and a successful Big Ten Tournament in order to reach their best play for the NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin will take on the winner of Rutgers versus Maryland, two teams the Badgers are very familiar with this season. The game will be held on Thursday, March 14th in Minneapolis at the Target Center.
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