MID-RANGE: STRINGING TOGETHER TWO STRONG SHOOTING GAMES
Wisconsin is getting set to play its second true road game with hopes that they’ll come out shooting a lot better compared to their first road loss to North Carolina State when they shot 37.5 percent (21-for-56) from the field.
Rutgers on the season are allowing opponents to shoot 39.2 percent (205-for-523) from the field but in their last two games both resulting in losses they allowed Pittsburgh to shoot 46.6 percent (27-for-58) from the field and allowed Michigan State to shoot 43.6 percent (24-for-55) from the field. Not to mention in the loss to Michigan State the Spartans shot 54.1 percent on 24 field goal attempts in the second half.
If Wisconsin protects the basketball and is able to work the basketball around on the offensive end it should result in the Badgers generating open looks.
Wisconsin on the season is averaging 11.3 assists on an average of 23.8 made field goal attempts a game. D’Mitrik Trice (30 assists), Brad Davison (15 assists), and Trevor Anderson (11 assists) have combined for 56 of Wisconsin’s 102 assists this season.
Trice has done well of setting his teammates up and when Anderson has come in he has done an excellent job through the early parts of the season of not only setting his teammate up for a quality shot attempt but he has also taken care of the basketball. Considering, Anderson has only turned the basketball over once this year.
Anderson’s ability to continue to protect the basketball while he’s on the floor will be important considering Rutgers has forced an average of 15 turnovers a game. Wisconsin turned the basketball over a season low four times against Indiana and that ball security will need to continue considering one of the best ways for Wisconsin to keep Rutgers in the game is by consistently turning the basketball over.