BadgerBlitz – Takeaways from Wisconsin’s 73-55 Loss at Maryland

Enjoying two street video games 700 miles aside in 48 hours turned out to be a fair larger headache for the College of Wisconsin.

A chance to earn a Quad-1 win in opposition to a struggling Maryland program, the Badgers fell meekly within the second half in an unsightly 73-55 defeat on the Xfinity Middle.

Dropping 5 of six to fall into the underside third of the Large Ten convention, Wisconsin (12-7, 4-5 Large Ten) is beneath .500 within the league for the primary time since February 2018.

Listed here are my takeaways from Wednesday evening.

Maryland had 50 shot makes an attempt Wednesday. Twenty-one have been categorized as both layups or dunks. That’s the story of the sport.

Maryland scored 32 factors within the paint, however it appeared like 60 contemplating how shortly they got here and the way impactful they have been after halftime. After scoring 18 factors within the paint on 28 possessions within the first half, the Terps had 14 within the first 5 minutes of the second half to utterly swing momentum.

And it wasn’t just like the Terps needed to break a sweat both, as numerous gamers acquired to the rim and completed with layups or dunks that ignited a crowd from an earthly first half. The Terrapins completed 13-for-18 and 3-for-3 on dunks, as guard Jahmir Younger (22 factors), ahead Julian Reese (14), ahead Donta Scott (14), and guard Hakim Exhausting (13, 8 assists) carved up the Badgers.

Wisconsin’s smaller make-up of its roster naturally places them at a drawback in rebounding and in some low-post conditions, however the Badgers have been merely outworked by a Maryland group that has loads of flaws. In a single second-half scenario, with the sport nicely in hand, Isaac Lindsey was crushed on a backdoor reduce and there was nobody on the rim to contest Younger for what turned out to be a straightforward dunk try.

Maryland shot 60 % within the second half (15-for-25) and averaged over 1.5 factors per possession, main by a minimum of three possessions within the closing 16 minutes.

Maryland began 8-for-11 from the sphere, however Wisconsin’s protection made some changes and managed to cease the bleeding with the Terrapins going 7 minutes, 28 seconds with out a discipline objective. As an alternative of constructing off its personal scorching taking pictures begin (7-for-8) and lengthening a lead, the Badgers managed solely 4 factors on the following 10 possessions.

Freshman Connor Essegian continues to develop right into a shot maker for the Badgers, dropping a career-high 19 factors and taking pictures 50 % from the sphere (6-for-12). He was the one UW guard who made any noticeable distinction.

After lacking 14 pictures on Monday, Chucky Hepburn was restricted to a few factors on three pictures in 22 minutes due to foul bother and performed far too passively. Jordan Davis had a career-high 15 factors Monday however had solely three and a team-worst minus-18 ratio. With Max Klesmit lacking his second straight sport, UW performed Kamari McGee and Lindsey for a mixed 21 minutes however acquired a complete of two rebounds on seven shot makes an attempt.

The Badgers are 0-5 when lacking any person from their beginning lineup, which is an indication {that a}) UW is missing the required depth to make up for lacking personnel b) gamers haven’t upped their efficiency to make up for the lacking manufacturing.

Choice Sunday is six weeks from this Sunday. Whereas the Badgers nonetheless have 11 assured video games left (10 common season, one Large Ten Event), the possibility for high quality wins is lowering. Of the remaining 10 common season video games, UW has 5 Quad-1 alternatives left: Saturday in opposition to Illinois, subsequent Thursday at Ohio State, at Penn State Feb.8, Rutgers Feb.18, and at Purdue March 2. The Badgers seemingly must win a handful of these to enhance on their No.65 NCAA NET rating and 2-4 report in Quad 1 video games.

The Badgers have performed the fifth-toughest schedule within the NCAA, based on the Sagarin Rankings, and would seemingly be within the discipline of 68 if the sphere started immediately. UW doesn’t have a foul loss (6-0 in opposition to Quad 3/4 opponents) however solely two wins within the high 40 (Marquette – 16, Iowa – 38). Nevertheless, ought to the Badgers undergo a number of losses outdoors of Quad 1 over the following six weeks, the Badgers will seemingly be outdoors of the projected discipline.

7:03 – After needing 13 minutes, 41 seconds and 19 pictures to make seven discipline objectives in opposition to Northwestern, the Badgers wanted solely 6:38 and eight makes an attempt to attain that mark in opposition to the Terps, a distinction of seven:03

2006 – The final time UW performed back-to-back Large Ten street video games separated by simply in the future got here in losses at Michigan State and at Iowa within the closing two video games of the 2006 season.

12-0 – Maryland’s report this season when main at halftime.

2-7 – Wisconsin’s report this season when trailing at halftime.

3 – Shot makes an attempt from Hepburn, his fewest this season.

1-15 – Pictures made and tried from guards not named Connor Essegian

10 – The variety of consecutive video games Wisconsin had made fewer than 10 free throws (Badgers have been 6-for-7 vs. Maryland)

2- Second-chance factors for Wisconsin, the third time this month the Badgers have had two or fewer.

5 – Consecutive video games in double figures for Essegian, who’s upped his scoring common to 10.9 factors per sport.

13-for-18 – Maryland’s taking pictures numbers on layups

8-for-15 – Wisconsin’s taking pictures numbers on layups

1.33 – Factors per possession for Maryland

6 – Bench factors for Wisconsin, all scored by Carter Gilmore.

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