Wisconsin (12-8, 5-4 Big Ten) will have to move on quickly from their 19-point loss to Purdue on Friday night as they play on Monday against a talented Iowa (14-5, 5-3) team, which has been playing well as of late. Since the Hawkeyes lost to Nebraska earlier this month they have won four straight games against Maryland, Northwestern, Michigan, and Rutgers. Not to mention two of those four wins have come by double figures and in their last two games the Hawkeyes have averaged 87.5 points per game.
In this Badgers Wire feature, we will look at the three keys or questions for Wisconsin as they prepare to play Iowa on Monday.
LAYUP: CAN WISCONSIN LIMIT IOWA FROM THREE?
One of the reasons why Iowa is so dangerous on offense is their ability to consistently move the basketball around and create open shots for themselves.
The 18.4 assists Iowa averages over conference play leads the league making it important that the Badgers defensively find a way of trying to slow down the consistent ball movement.
With Iowa moving the basketball around so effectively it has led to them being able to set up good looks for themselves from three. Iowa over Big Ten play is shooting 35.9 percent (65-for-181) from three, which ranks second in the league.
Iowa’s making 8.1 three’s a contest over Big Ten play as the Badgers defensively can’t afford to allow Iowa to consistently catch and shoot uncontested 3-pointers.
Joe Weiskamp is shooting 43.1 percent (22-for-51) over conference play from three. Weiskamp has made a three in every Big Ten game this season except one, which came against Northwestern.
Wisconsin coming off its loss to Purdue allowed the Boilermakers to make the most three’s (nine) and shoot the highest percentage (47.4 percent) against them over Big Ten play.
If Wisconsin wants to pull the upset on Monday the Badgers can’t afford to have the Hawkeyes to be able to consistently score from three and in the post. If they do it will be a repeat of Friday night where the Boilermakers were able to start building a lead early.