Wisconsin basketball looked as dominant as ever in its 116-85 win over Iowa on Friday.
In its first game of 2025, the Badgers’ offense simply overwhelmed the Hawkeyes. Fueled by a career-best 32 points from John Blackwell, Wisconsin generated a 20-point advantage early in the second half to put a ribbon on win No. 11 of the season.
Eleven different playmakers scratched the score sheet on Friday, including transfer guard Camren Hunter and true freshman Daniel Freitag. With 17 straight Big Ten games on UW’s 2025 regular season slate on the horizon, the blistering shooting performance is certainly refreshing for a program in search of a more explosive offensive attack.
Here are five stats that defined UW’s record-breaking evening against the Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center:
1. 21 three-point makes
Wisconsin’s 21 made three-pointers were the most by any Badger team in program history. Blackwell nailed a team-best six attempts, bench guard Kamari McGee netted four looks from deep and Carter Gilmore, Max Klesmit, Xavier Amos and John Tonje each accounted for two made looks. UW crushed its previous school record (18) and made 12 more attempts than the Hawkeyes.
While the shooting performance could simply be an anomaly, the sheer number of scorers might not be. Nine Badgers scored at least one three-point attempt on Friday from virtually every angle of the hardwood.
2. 116 total points
The Badgers’ 116 points were the most by any Wisconsin team in Kohl Center history. It was also the second time UW scored at least 100 points in a game this season dating back to its early win over Arizona at the Kohl Center.
Greg Gard’s team doesn’t need to score 100 points to win. They’ve succeeded with floating near the mid-80’s for the entire season. To reach this total, however, to notch the first win of the 2024-25 season against a conference team and avoid dropping to 0-3 against the Big Ten is extremely impressive.
3. 37 rebounds
Wisconsin snared 37 total rebounds for the game — 16 more than the Hawkeyes did in the 40-minute sprint. Steven Crowl, Nolan Winter and John Blackwell combined for 23 of those boards in the effort.
The strong play from both Winter and Crowl against a Big Ten foe is encouraging. After dropping its third straight to Illinois in December, the tandem has been doing exactly what it needs to do for Gard’s group to keep up with some of the better programs in the nation.
4. 64.5% shooting and 67.7% from three
UW made 40-of-62 attempts from the field (64.5%) and 21-of-31 looks from outside (67.7%). Given the volume in both categories, this was one of the better offensive performances by any team across the NCAA Division I hoops landscape all season.
Like the 116-point total, this isn’t needed or sustainable. Still, if Wisconsin can float around the 38% mark from outside and 50% clip from the field, the team can keep up with the conference.
5. 32 points from John Blackwell
John Blackwell surpassed his previous career high — 30 points in a win over UT-Rio Grande Valley this season — with 32 points against Iowa. He made six three-pointers and 11 total field goals in the triumph in his best game as a Badger.
Blackwell’s improvement is evident. If he can continue to create alongside John Tonje — who has scored at least 40 points on two occasions this season — then Wisconsin’s backcourt will be atop opposing scouting reports for the rest of the season.
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