Busting Brackets
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Wisconsin Basketball: Why Badgers will be better than Iowa in 2020-21

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 16: Bucky Badger, the Wisconsin Badgers mascot, performs in the first half against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 16, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 16: Bucky Badger, the Wisconsin Badgers mascot, performs in the first half against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 16, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 21: Brad Davison #34 of the Wisconsin Badgers (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 21: Brad Davison #34 of the Wisconsin Badgers (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Better shooting

Despite playing two different styles of basketball – Iowa plays under a fast pace and isn’t afraid to embrace transition offense, Wisconsin is the opposite – the two teams do have one big aspect in common within their offenses. They both love to shoot the basketball.

Per Synergy, Wisconsin’s offense contains spot-up jumpers (from any spot on the floor) 28.9 percent of the time, more than double any other offensive style. Iowa is in a similar boat, with spot-up shooting taking up 23.4 percent of their offense. This should come to no surprise when considering that almost every player, on both rosters, can shoot the ball from downtown.

Badgers returning shooters

  • Micah Potter: 45.1 percent from three
  • Nate Reuvers: 33.7 percent from three
  • D’Mitrik Trice: 37.6 percent from three
  • Brad Davison: 35.9 percent from three
  • Aleem Ford: 34.2 percent from three

Hawkeyes returning shooters

  • Luka Garza: 35.8 percent from three
  • Jordan Bohannon: 32.8 percent from three
  • Joe Wieskamp: 34.7 percent from three
  • CJ Frederick: 46.1 percent from three
  • Bakari Evelyn: 29.9 percent from three

Upon a brief glance at the individual player 3-point percentages, it seems as if Wisconsin has the edge; and they, in fact, do have just that. Again per Synergy Sports, the Badgers averaged 0.964 on all of their spot-up jumpers last season (good for the top 18 percent of all college teams). Iowa only averaged 0.864  points per possession on their spot-ups, in opposition (good, or bad, enough to rank them in the bottom half of college basketball).

We all know the phrase: “live behind the line. die behind the line.” This is a motto that both the Badgers and Hawkeyes will adapt for the next season (and have adapted for quite some time).

The Badgers are more built to “live behind the line” than the Hawkeyes are. In other words, the Badgers are more fool-proof or fail-proof. The fact that they should see fewer lapses from 3-point shooting should lead to a larger number in the win column than Iowa, and should also give them the edge when the two teams meet next season.