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The Wisconsin Badgers handled UCLA 86-70 on Friday, advancing to the semifinals of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
Wisconsin's performance was eerily similar to its 2024 tournament triumph over Maryland, as the team tied a Big Ten Tournament record with nineteen made three-pointers. John Tonje led the way scoring-wise, scoring 26 points with just one miss on 10 field goal attempts. Center Steven Crowl had a terrific afternoon, scoring 13 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from deep. John Blackwell also added 18 points of his own on 4-of-8 from deep.
The Badgers played a complete game. Their offense clicked, as they created good shot opportunities from outside. Most importantly, the team made the majority of those looks.
Before focus turns to Saturday's semifinal game against Michigan State, here are three stats that explain Wisconsin's dominant victory against the UCLA Bruins:
Wisconsin had struggled from beyond the arc since Max Klesmit's injury a few weeks ago. It had arguably its best shooting performance of the season against UCLA -- one of the best defenses in the conference and in the entire country. John Tonje led the way, connecting on all six of his three point shots. Crowl followed suit by making all three of his attempts.
The Badgers will need to continue to shoot well if they want to avenge their previous loss to top-ranked Michigan State. Overall, Friday's game proves how dangerous Wisconsin can be when shooting well.
Wisconsin struggled to defend UCLA the last time these two teams played, specifically center Aday Mara, who scored 22 points in 21 minutes in that first meeting. Wisconsin played much better defensively the second time around, only allowing the Bruins to shoot 32.4% from the field and score 70 total points -- 11 of which in the final minutes after the game was decided.
Wisconsin's defense continues to improve, especially with Klesmit back from injury. That sets up well entering March Madness.
Wisconsin thrives in games where it creates good shots for its starters. It recently struggled against Penn State and Michigan State, and even in its win over Minnesota. Max Klesmit's absence was a major factor in those sub-par performances.
His presence was evident against UCLA, as he gave the team valuable spacing, allowing Tonje and Blackwell better scoring chances. That is seen through Wisconsin's 22 assists on 30 made baskets. That rate is a winning formula and shows how much better the team is playing on the offensive end.
Overall, Wisconsin won decisively over a UCLA team that it struggled against earlier this season. They also won big against a tournament team, adding yet another strong result to an already-impressive resume. Wisconsin will now look to continue its strong performance into Saturday's Big Ten Tournament semifinal matchup against Michigan State.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball UCLA Big Ten tournament key stats
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Wisconsin's performance was eerily similar to its 2024 tournament triumph over Maryland, as the team tied a Big Ten Tournament record with nineteen made three-pointers. John Tonje led the way scoring-wise, scoring 26 points with just one miss on 10 field goal attempts. Center Steven Crowl had a terrific afternoon, scoring 13 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from deep. John Blackwell also added 18 points of his own on 4-of-8 from deep.
The Badgers played a complete game. Their offense clicked, as they created good shot opportunities from outside. Most importantly, the team made the majority of those looks.
Before focus turns to Saturday's semifinal game against Michigan State, here are three stats that explain Wisconsin's dominant victory against the UCLA Bruins:
Wisconsin shot 19-for-32 from three (59.4%)
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Wisconsin had struggled from beyond the arc since Max Klesmit's injury a few weeks ago. It had arguably its best shooting performance of the season against UCLA -- one of the best defenses in the conference and in the entire country. John Tonje led the way, connecting on all six of his three point shots. Crowl followed suit by making all three of his attempts.
The Badgers will need to continue to shoot well if they want to avenge their previous loss to top-ranked Michigan State. Overall, Friday's game proves how dangerous Wisconsin can be when shooting well.
UCLA shot just 32.4% from the field
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Wisconsin struggled to defend UCLA the last time these two teams played, specifically center Aday Mara, who scored 22 points in 21 minutes in that first meeting. Wisconsin played much better defensively the second time around, only allowing the Bruins to shoot 32.4% from the field and score 70 total points -- 11 of which in the final minutes after the game was decided.
Wisconsin's defense continues to improve, especially with Klesmit back from injury. That sets up well entering March Madness.
Wisconsin's 22 team assists
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Wisconsin thrives in games where it creates good shots for its starters. It recently struggled against Penn State and Michigan State, and even in its win over Minnesota. Max Klesmit's absence was a major factor in those sub-par performances.
His presence was evident against UCLA, as he gave the team valuable spacing, allowing Tonje and Blackwell better scoring chances. That is seen through Wisconsin's 22 assists on 30 made baskets. That rate is a winning formula and shows how much better the team is playing on the offensive end.
Overall, Wisconsin won decisively over a UCLA team that it struggled against earlier this season. They also won big against a tournament team, adding yet another strong result to an already-impressive resume. Wisconsin will now look to continue its strong performance into Saturday's Big Ten Tournament semifinal matchup against Michigan State.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball UCLA Big Ten tournament key stats
Continue reading...
