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Led by Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin Badgers on Pace for Historic Offensive Season

By Alex Miller

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The Wisconsin Badgers have the nation’s best offense, but just how good are they?

On Tuesday night, Wisconsin blasted the Indiana Hoosiers at the Kohl Center 92-78. The game featured just 65 possessions, leading to an incredible 1.42 points per possession for Wisconsin’s offense (1 point per possession is considered average). Indiana’s defense is, to put it mildly, suspect, but this kind of offensive output is nothing new for Bo Ryan’s squad.

According to Kenpom, Wisconsin’s offensive efficiency – a measure of how many points a team is expected to score over 100 possessions versus the average defense – is 125.2. The Wisconsin offense is so far ahead of the rest of college basketball, that only one team is managing an efficiency rating over 120 (Notre Dame – 122.5). In fact, if the season ended today, this would be the best offensive rating since Kenpom began tracking the statistic back in 2002.

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So what makes the Badgers offense so lethal? For one thing, they don’t turn the ball over, coughing it up on only 12.5% of their possessions – the next closest team checks in at 14%. Opponents are only blocking 3.9% of Wisconsin’s shot attempts this season – only four other teams have a rate less than 6% with none better than 5.3%. Both of these factors help to ensure the Badgers get a shot up every time down the court. Considering how patient the Badgers usually are in finding a good shot in the flow of the offense, that’s incredibly important. As Iowa’s Aaron White alluded to “It seems every possession they can get the shot they want, It’s frustrating.”

What really makes the offense click is 7 foot senior center, and one of the favorites to win the Wooden Award for the best player in college basketball, Frank Kaminsky. Quite frankly, he is the most complete player in college hoops. His footwork in the post is so good he can score in a variety of ways on post-ups, spin moves, baseline drives, etc. He can shoot the three and if the defender closes out too fast, he’ll blow right past them on his way to the rim. He’s an excellent passer, and almost always makes the right decision in his shot selection and where his pass is headed. He’s essentially a dynamic guard that’s 7 feet tall with very good rebounding skills. Almost un-guardable at this level.

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Opponents can’t really double team him either, because one of his teammates will beat you. Nigel Hayes, Sam Dekker, and Kaminsky form the best frontcourt in the country. The guard rotation of Bronson Koenig, Josh Gasser, and Traveon Jackson, who is sidelined with a fractured foot, isn’t too shabby, either.

Everyone on Wisconsin can shoot the 3, drive to the rim, and pass the ball extraordinarily well. Their ability to shoot from the perimeter draws defenders out and creates lanes to drive to the basket, and their superb ball movement will almost always find an open man.

Even though the Badgers will be without their starting point guard until the end of February or early March, the Badgers should continue to lay waste to opposing defenses in the Big Ten where they’re averaging 1.29(!) points per possession. In non conference play they averaged 1.17 ppp. They’re getting better, and that’s a scary thought for opponents.

Next: Syracuse Self-Imposes Postseason Ban

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