Indiana Visits The Kohl Center With Badgers Heading Home Hot

It didn’t appear likely a few weeks ago, but Wisconsin men’s basketball returns home for its first post-break game on a four-game winning streak and just a half game out of the Big Ten lead. While it was certainly a welcome sight Sunday when the Badgers (5-3 Big Ten, 16-5 Overall) beat Illinois for their first road win over a ranked opponent since 2008, Thursday’s return to the Kohl Center is no pushover as No. 16/17 Indiana (4-4 Big Ten, 16-4 Overall) looks to hand UW its 4^th home loss for the first time since the 1995-1996 season.

Although the Hoosiers came into the season unranked, their return to national prominence after a three-year drought didn’t come as much of a surprise those who had seen them both on the court and in the recruiting world.

“They had a lot of talent returning…” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said of Indiana. “{Indiana freshman forward Cody} Zeller is a guy that came in and really boosted them over the top.”

While Zeller has come in and immediately made an impact, averaging a team-high 15.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, it has been the three-point shooting of the Hoosiers that has led them to victories over No.1 Kentucky and No. 2 Ohio State.  Indiana comes into Thursday shooting a Big Ten-best 44.9% from three-point range, bested on the national level only by Creighton’s 45.1% pace. But with the Badgers holding their opponents to a NCAA-best 35.9% from the field, something has to give.

“They have multiple guys who can shoot it, from their bigs to their guards…” Gasser said. “We just have to play to out strengths and keep them out of a rhythm.”

Although seemingly unable to find the bottom of the basket at times, Wisconsin has more than held its own from beyond the arc as well. In 21 games this season, UW has shot 37.5% from three-point range, 3^rd in the Big Ten.

Perhaps more importantly, the Badgers are a perfect 14-0 this season when shooting a better percentage from the field than their opponent, something they will no doubt look to do against Indiana. For UW head coach Bo Ryan, accomplishing that goal is just as much about defensive execution as it is about knocking down shots.

“If you are doing the best you can on {the defensive} end and you are trying to fight through slumps {offensively},” Ryan said. “Then you have a chance.”

One thing that is undeniable is the importance of knocking down free throws. Just one year after nearing setting an NCAA record last season by shooting free throws at an 81.8% clip, the Badgers have struggled mightily by their high standards. Yet, even after shooting just 60.9% over the first seven games of the season and starting Sunday’s win by missing seven of its first nine attempts, UW has managed remain over the 70% mark from the charity stripe. More importantly, Wisconsin has made free throws consistently down the stretch, icing close games at the line in Champaign as well as in West Lafayette. In fact, during the final five minutes of Big Ten games, the Badgers are shooting 78% at the line.

“We have to get back on the free throw line and be confident,” junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said. “We still shoot the ball pretty well there but its not as good as it was last year.”

Despite some bad history for IU basketball at the Kohl Center, there is no doubt that the Hoosiers have made it back to the top.

“Its good for college basketball…” Bruesewitz said. “They’ve knocked off the number one and number two teams in the country and that’s just good for the game in general.” 

But while they are much improved this season, Indiana has yet to put up a marquee road victory, something they are no doubt hoping to change on Thursday night. But in order to leave Madison with a win, the Hoosiers will have to reverse a lot of bad history on their side when it comes to playing at the Kohl Center. Since the Badgers moved to the corner of Dayton and Frances, IU has won just one game on UW turf and hasn’t left victorious with Bo Ryan at the helm for Wisconsin. The Hoosiers have struggled in general against UW of late, losing eight straight to the Badgers with the last IU victory coming in Bloomington back in 2007. That eight-game winning streak for Wisconsin over Indiana is the longest streak by a single team against the Hoosiers since Purdue capped off a nine-game run in 1935.

Finally hitting their stride as a team, it doesn’t seem that this Badger team is ready to bring that streak to an end just yet. Tipoff is at 8pm at the Kohl Center.