Wisconsin at Indiana — Live discussion thread

Game Day Essentials:

Wisconsin (18-19, 10-6) vs. Indiana (14-13, 6-10)

• Tip Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern, Tuesday
• Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222), Bloomington, Ind.
• Television: Peacock (Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel)
• Stream: Peacock
• IU Radio Network: IU Radio Network
• Point Spread: Wisconsin is around a 4.5 point favorite.
• KenPom Projected Score: No. 104 Indiana 70 – No. 22 Wisconsin 75
• Series History: Indiana leads, 97-81.

Three keys from last meeting:

1. No defensive answers.  Indiana had a great second half on the offensive end, but their defense could not get stops.  The Badgers shot 59.6 percent for the game, including 10-of-21 from three.  Despite a 53-point second half by the Hoosiers, they only outscored Wisconsin by one after the break.  Indiana tried to double Steven Crowl in the post, but he ended up with eight assists, mostly on kick-out threes.

2. Too much fouling.  Indiana’s lack of defensive discipline allowed Wisconsin to live at the free throw line.  The Badgers are very good at the stripe, and they converted on 25 of 29 attempts.  Indiana committed 23 fouls, Payton Sparks fouled out starting in place of the injured Kel’el Ware, and three other IU players had four fouls.

3. Lack of guard production.  In a high scoring game, Indiana needed more production from its guards.  Trey Galloway and Xavier Johnson had just two points at halftime.  They did end up with a combined 18 points, and Gabe Cupps added seven, but most of Galloway and Johnson’s production came after Wisconsin built a sizable second half lead.  Meanwhile, Wisconsin guards Max Klesmit and A.J. Storr combined for 41 points.

Wisconsin’s results and roster

Wisconsin’s game notes (via Wisconsin Athletics)

BALANCED BADGER OFFENSE

• Wisconsin boasts one of the nation’s best offenses, ranking 17th in the NCAA in offensive efficiency per KenPom.com.
• UW’s 119.2 adjusted offensive efficiency is on pace to go down as the school’s 4th-highest mark since KenPom began tracking in 1999.
• Wisconsin’s scoring average this season (74.3 ppg) is on pace for its highest scoring average since 1993-94 when they put up 77.9 ppg. That team was led by NBA All-Star Michael Finley in Stu Jackson’s final season as coach.

SOMETHING IN STORR

• Sophomore transfer AJ Storr has been an instant
  fit since arriving at Wisconsin. A BIG EAST All-Freshman honoree last year at St. John’s, Storr leads the Badgers averaging 16.3 points per game (ranks 9th in Big Ten).
•  Storr has led UW in scoring in 9 games.  He’s scored 20+ points in 4 of the last 8 games – 8 times total this season (10x career).  In Big Ten play, Storr’s production increases to 17.6 points (6th in B1G), 44.3% FG, 79.5% FT.
• He has scored in double figures in 25 of 27 games this season, including 22 straight games.

CHUCKY AT THE POINT OF IT

• A Big Ten All-Freshman honoree and All-B1G honorable mention last season, Chucky Hepburn has started every game of his career (95 games) since arriving at Wisconsin.
• Not relied on as heavily to score as last season, Hepburn’s overall year-over-year improvement
  has been noticeable so far this season Hepburn is heating up offensively, however, scoring in double figures in 3 of the last 5 games and averaging 11.4 points while shooting 48.6% FG (9-for-18 3FG), plus 4.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
• He’s maintaining an impressive 3.13 assist-to-turnover ratio (100 ast to 32 TOs) this season. That ranks 2nd among Big Ten point guards this season (min. 3.5 APG) and 6th-best in the country among major conference players.

TURNING IT UP TO THE ‘MAX’

• Junior Max Klesmit has become an offensive threat over the last 15 games, averaging 11.8 pts, shooting 46.0% FG, including 31-for-73 (42.5%) from 3FG.
• Klesmit scored 26 points (8-11 FG, 5-7 3FG) vs. Indiana (1/19/24), his most as a Badger.
• His 5 triples matched his career high, and marked the 4th time he’s done so as a Badger. That included a stretch where Klesmit scored 20 straight points in a span of 4.5 minutes. That’s the 2nd-longest personal scoring run by a major conference player since at least 2018-19.

Wisconsin’s KenPom notable numbers:

(out of 362 teams)

Tempo – No. 320 (Offense No. 340 / Defense No. 141)

Offensive Efficiency – No. 17

• The Badgers have an effective field goal percentage of 52.3 percent so far on the season. They’re shooting 34 percent from three (No. 174) and 52.9 percent from two (No. 83).
• Wisconsin does a good job of taking care of the ball, as opponents are only getting turnovers at a 15.2 percent rate (No. 64) and steals at a rate of 7.2 percent (No. 15).
• The Badgers see a good amount of their opportunities come from the line with a 36.4 percent attempt rate (FTA/FGA, No. 92) and free throws making up 21 percent of their points (No. 74).  They make 76.4 percent of their freebies (No. 31).
• Wisconsin’s offense gets blocked a lot, with a 10.5 percent rate on the season (No. 280).

Defensive Efficiency – No. 46

• Teams have an effective field goal percentage of 51.6 percent against Wisconsin on the season (No. 244). Opponents are shooting 36.3 percent from three (No. 326) and 50.1 percent from two (No. 165).
• The Badgers are exceptional in terms of limiting offensive rebounds, with an opposing rate of 23.5 percent (No. 11).
• Aside from a lackluster 4.8 percent block rate (No. 354), the rest of Wisconsin’s KenPom defensive stats all fall around the middle of Division 1 (150-200 range).
• Although the defensive three point percentage is lackluster, Wisconsin doesn’t give up a lot of 3-point attempts, and teams find the majority of their points from two with a 52.1 percent point distribution (No. 129).

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