Game Day Essentials:
No. 18 Wisconsin (11-4, 3-2) at Indiana (10-6, 1-4)
- Tip Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern
- Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222), Bloomington, Indiana
- Television: CBS (Spero Dedes, Bill Raftery, Jay Wright)
- Stream: CBS Sports
- IU Radio Network: IU Radio Network
- Point Spread: Indiana is a 4.5 point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: No. 33 Indiana 71 No. 56 Wisconsin 66
- Series: Indiana leads 96-80. Wisconsin won last meeting 74-69 on Feb. 15, 2022
Wisconsin’s Greg Gard:
Greg Gard took over on an interim basis midway through the 2015-16 season and was officially named the school’s head coach on March 7, 2016.
In his first seven seasons as head coach, Gard had a 144-78 (.649) record, becoming the second-fastest Wisconsin coach (157 games) to 100 overall wins in the NCAA tournament era. The Badgers were 84-50 in conference play during that stretch.
Prior to being named the head coach, Gard was an associate head coach at Wisconsin from 2001-2015.
In Gard’s 21 total seasons on the Badgers’ bench, they have finished lower than fourth in the Big Ten standings just twice while posting a 256-118 (.684) mark in league play.
Wisconsin’s results and roster:
After beginning the season 11-2, Wisconsin has lost two straight; 79-69 at Illinois and 69-65 at home to Michigan State. Starting forward and preseason All-Big Ten pick Tyler Wahl missed both of those games and is questionable against Indiana.
Despite their recent loses, the Badgers have five wins against KenPom top 100 teams. They have won against No. 45 Dayton, No. 60 USC, No. 12 Marquette, No. 34 Maryland and No. 37 Iowa.
Wisconsin Notes
– Wisconsin is looking to win at Assembly Hall for the 3rd-straight time. In fact, the Badgers have won 8 of the last 11 games in Bloomington dating back to 2008.
– Greg Gard is 10-2 in his career vs. Indiana.
– Last season, Wisconsin went 13-6 away from home, including an impressive 9-2 in true road games. This year, UW is 5-2 away from home.
– Dating back to last season, UW has won 6 of its last 7 true road games and 11 of its last 14.
– Wisconsin owns one of the nation’s most impressive resumes, going 5-3 in Quad 1/2 games, trailing only Purdue (7) for the most such wins in the Big Ten. UW is also 12th in the nation with 6 wins over KenPom Top-100 teams (through games Jan. 11).
– Last season, Wisconsin was 13-6 away from home, including an impressive 9-2 in true road games. This year, UW is 5-2 away from home.
– Dating back to last season, the Badgers have won 11 of their last 14 road games.
– The Badgers have played 9 games this season decided by 5 points or less (3 overtime games), holding a 6-3 record in those contests.
– UW is now 18-6 in games decided by 5 or fewer points over the last 2 seasons.
– Wisconsin ranks 5th in the B1G in 3FG% (37.4%). That percentage would signify the Badgers’ best mark since the 2013-14 season. The Badgers also rank 3rd in the conference making 8.8 3FGs/game.
– Wisconsin is allowing opponents 62.9 ppg, which ranks 4th in the Big Ten.
– Wisconsin ranks 3rd in the nation averaging 9.3 turnovers per game. Last season, the Badgers led the NCAA with 8.7 TOs/game.
– Head coach Greg Gard recently earned career win No. 150, becoming the 4th UW coach to reach the milestone joining Hall of Famers Walter Meanwell, Bud Foster & Bo Ryan.
– The 2022 Big Ten Coach of the Year and a Naismith National Coach of the Year finalist, Gard has led the Badgers to Big Ten titles in 2 of the last 3 seasons, plus 5 of the 6 NCAA tournaments during his tenure.
– Senior Tyler Wahl hopes to return from a leg injury that held him out of the game at Illinois. A Battle 4 Atlantis All-Tournament honoree, Wahl leads the Badgers in points (13.2 ppg). He also ranks 2nd in rebounds (6.4 rpg), 3rd in assists and 3rd in assists and steals.
– Point guard Chucky Hepburn has made a jump in his sophomore season, averaging 13.0 ppg with a 2.04 ast-to-TO ratio. Defensively, he ranks 4th in the Big Ten at 2.1 steals per game.
– Hepburn ranks 2nd in the Big Ten shooting 48.5% from 3-point range -up from 34.8% 3FG last season.
– Over the last 7 games, junior Steven Crowl is averaging 17.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. On the season, the 7-footer ranks 2nd for UW with 3.1 assists per game.
– Freshman Connor Essegian is establishing himself as one of the Big Ten’s best reserves, leading all non-starters in scoring average at 10.3 points per game off the bench for UW.
Wisconsin’s 2022-23 KenPom Highlights:
Tempo – No. 336 (Offense No. 343 / Defense No. 264)
Offensive Efficiency – No. 95
- Wisconsin’s effective FG percentage of 51.0 percent is No. 138 nationally. They are No. 278 nationally in two-point percentage (47.4) and rank No. 41` in three-point percentage (37.4).
- The Badgers don’t turn the ball over, as they account for just 14.1 percent of possessions, No. 6.
- Wisconsin does not corral many of their own misses. Their 21.3 percent offensive rebounding rate is just No, 345.
- The Badgers don’t get to the foul line much, and they don’t make a high rate when they do get there. Their free throw attempts are just 25.1 percent of field goal attempts (No. 327), and they make just 68.5 percent (No. 259).
Defensive Efficiency – No. 33
- Wisconsin ranks No. 137 in overall opponent effective field goal percentage (49.1), including No. 136 in three-point percentage (32.8) and No. 150 in two-point percentage (49.1).
- The Badgers are good at limiting opponents’ second chance opportunities, as opposing teams get offensive rebounds on just 24.8 percent of possessions, No. 45.
- Opponents don’t assist much on made field goals, with just a 44.1 percent assist rate (No. 39).
- Wisconsin doesn’t block many shots, with just a 5.4 percent (No. 331) block rate.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Facebook: thedailyhoosier
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
