Analyzing stats that defined the Wisconsin basketball’s shocking loss to Penn State

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The Wisconsin Badgers suffered a shocking 86-75 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday

Wisconsin again looked like a different team without starting guard Max Klesmit, who missed the third straight game with a lower-body injury. The Badgers are now just 1-2 in those contests, partially due to struggling to move the ball on offense.

The loss dropped the team out of the top four seeds in the Big Ten. That means it will begin its Big Ten Tournament quest on Thursday against either Northwestern or Minnesota. With a win, it would move on to face No. 4-seed UCLA on Friday. Wisconsin still needs a string of wins to gain control over its preferred NCAA Tournament site, which would be Milwaukee. The Big Ten Tournament is key for the Badgers to get optimal seeding and build momentum entering the most important games of the year.

Before the conference tournament begins, here are three of the stats that defined Wisconsin’s loss to Penn State:

Wisconsin shot just 36.2% from the field

Wisconsin has struggled shooting from deep over its last few games. Against Penn State, it also struggled around the rim. Steven Crowl missed a few good looks late in the second half, misses that proved decisive in the game’s final moments. Penn State center Yanic Konan Niederhauser did an excellent job defending both Crowl and Wisconsin’s drivers at the rim, blocking five total shots.

Both Crowl and Nolan Winter need to be better around the basket, especially when they have a size advantage over opposing defenders.

John Tonje shot just 2-of-13 from the field

John Tonje has played at an All-American level all season. However, in Max Klesmit’s absence, it’s been clear that Tonje has had a bit too much on his plate. He’s forced up a ton of bad shots as the team has struggled offensively. Those poor looks further the team’s struggles. He’ll need to improve his shot selection in tournament play, specifically avoiding heat checks and fall-away three pointers with time left on the shot clock.

Wisconsin…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/analyzing-stats-defined-wisconsin-basketballs-234134704.html

Author : Badgers Wire

Publish date : 2025-03-09 23:41:00

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