The most important stat for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team might surprise you

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MADISON – The numbers Wisconsin is putting up are crazy and in some cases historic.

The Badgers men’s basketball team’s average of 82 points per game is its highest since the 1970-71 season. It’s 83.4% free-throw shooting is on pace to be a NCAA record.

KenPom’s offensive efficiency rating for Wisconsin is the highest since the 2015 Final Four team. The Badgers’ 36.8% three-point shooting is the best since the 2014 Final Four season and their 39.2% shooting in Big Ten play is the best in the league.

But none of that would be possible without the ball.

If you want to know the most important aspect of No. 11 Wisconsin this season it just might be that. A low turnover rate isn’t sexy, but it’s fuel for the fire for a team that fills it up like UW.

“Sometimes it’s a cumulation effect that you’ve heard me talk about of what an offense can do when we keep coming with thrusts,” Badger coach Greg Gard said. “We call it an avalanche approach. What that impact has over the course of 40 minutes. Offense typically gets a little bit easier.”

The next test of that theory for No. 11 Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) comes at 11 a.m. Saturday against Oregon (19-8, 8-8). The Ducks, who are in eighth-place, went through a five-game losing streak during the last month but beat Iowa on Wednesday for its third straight victory. They scored early-season wins over Alabama and Texas A&M, ranked fourth and seventh, respectively, by the Associated Press this week.

“Now it looks like they’re playing better like they did earlier in the year,” Gard said.

Wisconsin’s John Blackwell has just 57 turnovers in 755 minutes played this season despite being one of the team’s most aggressive offensive players.

Wisconsin has scored over 90 points in back-to-back games

What makes the Badgers’ low turnover total notable are the extended periods they’ve been able to string together without a turnover and the number of quality options they have handling the ball.

In the win over Illinois on…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/most-important-stat-wisconsin-mens-160101107.html

Author : Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Publish date : 2025-02-21 16:01:00

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