Wisconsin basketball improved to 18-5 (8-4 Big Ten) on the season with a 76-64 win over Indiana on Tuesday.
The result moved the Badgers 12-1 at the friendly confines of the Kohl Center. While the team has dropped recent road games to conference contenders UCLA and Maryland, it continues to stabilize its momentum with decisive home victories. The Indiana game was no exception, as Wisconsin held a double-digit lead through nearly the entire contest.
Related: Wisconsin basketball fans, media react to Badgers win over Indiana
Standouts from the 12-point win include Max Klesmit (13 points, six assists and three steals), Nolan Winter (12 points and five rebounds on five-of-seven shooting), John Tonje (15 points and five rebounds on five-of-11 shooting) and Carter Gilmore (10 points on three-of-three form beyond the arc).
Clear advantages in several key statistical categories led to the result. The Badgers shot a blistering 41.4% from three compared to Indiana’s 25.9%. They also had 13 assists to Indiana’s nine and turned the ball over just six times (Indiana finished with 13 giveaways).
Following the result, Wisconsin should maintain its strong position in rating metrics. The team has now won three of its last four after a brief cold spell. Before the page is completely turned to upcoming games against Iowa and Purdue, here are big takeaways from the Badgers’ winning performance against the Hoosiers.
Wisconsin outclassed Indiana from the opening tip
Wisconsin’s 19-2 run in the first four minutes clearly stated what was to come for the rest of the game. The Badgers shot the ball better than the Hoosiers, took better care of the basketball, rebounded the ball well and, most importantly, answered every opposing run with a run of their own.
This game doesn’t have many ‘what-ifs’ in hindsight. Indiana didn’t find an advantage in any facet. Even the team’s star center Oumar Ballo finished with just four points and six rebounds.
That reality further bolsters Wisconsin’s quality as one of the best teams in the country. The team’s losses are all close games on the road to top teams. Its wins, on the other hand, are almost all blowouts. Tuesday’s game falls in that second category.
Wisconsin shut down Oumar Ballo
Following up on the Ballo mention, Wisconsin’s defense on the star center was one of the game’s deciding factors. Ballo entered the game averaging 14.5 points and 10 rebounds. He had tallied double-doubles in four of his last six games.
On Tuesday, the Badgers held him to just four points and six rebounds — by far his lowest totals of the season.
Badgers fans may remember when Ballo, then on Arizona, tallied 15 points, nine rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals against Wisconsin last season. A repeat of that performance would have given Indiana a chance to win. Instead, Wisconsin big men Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter held him to season-lows.
Max Klesmit played one of his best games of the season
Max Klesmit’s season-long shooting struggles (28.5% from three) have flown under the radar as Wisconsin continues to win games. Another way of viewing his play is that once the shots start falling, Wisconsin will become even tougher to defend.
There are some signs of a breakthrough. Klesmit played arguably his best game of the season in Wisconsin’s win over Indiana, tallying 13 points, six assists, three steals, a rebound and a block on four-of-10 shooting. He still shot just two-of-six from three. But those makes each came in the first minutes as the Badgers built their decisive lead — they provided a further glimpse at the team’s potential with his shot as an offensive weapon.
Klesmit has now scored in double-figures in back-to-back games for the first time since December. While much of his scoring has come at or near the rim, it could be an indicator that the three-point shot is close to clicking.
Carter Gilmore isn’t a one-hit wonder
Carter Gilmore followed up his career outing against Northwestern with another terrific performance: 10 points, three rebounds and an assist on three-of-three shooting from beyond the arc. That production isn’t an aberration — the senior is far more aggressive with the ball in his hands, both scoring and distributing. Peacock analyst Robbie Hummel correctly noted that there were several instances where another player was freed up by Indiana needing to account for Gilmore shooting.
Everything we wrote after the Northwestern game applies. Gilmore’s emergence is becoming the story of the season. He helps to extend Wisconsin’s lineup to arguably the deepest it’s ever been.
Wisconsin got major contributions from its bench
Speaking of the bench, Wisconsin got major contributions from all of its reserves against the Hoosiers. Gilmore scored the mentioned 10 points, forward Xavier Amos played arguably his best game of the season with six points and three rebounds, and Kamari McGee finished with nine points on three-of-five shooting from beyond the arc.
Wisconsin’s bench is delivering scoring margins similar to the starting unit. That is a testament to the development of each player, both career-long and in-season. It also speaks to how Greg Gard prepares his team for each game. Any of nine players can step in and contribute.
John Blackwell is still searching for his top form
A small sub-story to Tuesday’s game is John Blackwell’s continued struggles. He finished with just eight points on three-of-12 shooting. That rate obviously didn’t matter, as the Badgers picked off a comfortable win. But it’s one to watch moving forward.
Blackwell has failed to reach double figures in back-to-back games, shooting just five-of-20 from the floor in the process. He’ll need to rediscover his top form if the Badgers are to make a run at the conference crown.
This game was a coaching mismatch
This final takeaway sums up every other postgame thought. On one hand, a well-coached Wisconsin team entered with a clear game plan and dominated its opponent. On the other, Indiana is in a free-fall under Mike Woodson.
Ballo’s lack of production is the biggest signal for strong coaching. Gard and his staff’s defensive plan worked to perfection. Without Ballo producing, Woodson’s team wasn’t able to pivot to other options. That brings up a larger question of why Indiana was a preseason pick to contend for the conference while Wisconsin was picked to finish 12th.
Let this be a lesson: Gard’s name belongs in the top tier of Big Ten coaches, while Woodson may soon be looking for work.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball Indiana game takeaways and analysis
