Better defense
Both Wisconsin and Iowa should have sustainable offenses for the 2020-21 season, as just discussed (though both might do so in different ways). Where the Badgers ultimately score their convincing edge is on the other end of the ball: defense. The commonly thrown around phrase, “defense wins championships” reigns true for Wisconsin here.
According to Synergy, the Badgers only allowed 0.842 points per possession on defense last year. That was good enough to rank them in the top 27 percent of college basketball; but when you also consider Wisconsin’s strategy of playing slow and limiting possessions, scoring on them becomes even tougher than that number might suggest.
Iowa’s defense, on the other hand, allowed 0.889 points per possession last season; they also, of course, play at a much faster pace which allows for more scoring opportunities. As opposed to the Badgers, their defense ranks in the bottom 37 percent of college basketball, according to Synergy.
Iowa’s defense
- 0.889 points allowed per possession
Wisconsin’s defense
- 0.842 points allowed per possession
Barttorvik projects that Iowa will have the 112th ranked defense in 2020-21 according to their adjusted defense statistic. On the other hand, the site projects Wisconsin’s defense to only get better from the 2019-20 season (with a 91.6 adjusted defense score; ranked 7th nationally).
That is likely because of esteemed defensive characters like the on-ball pest that is Brad Davison or the solid rim protector that is Nate Reuvers. Wisconsin also adds incoming freshman Johnny Davis next season, who provides the Badgers with even more length at the guard spot and brings an extra amount of defensive energy to Wisconsin’s second unit. To emphasize, look at this potential rotation the Badgers could roll out, at times, for this next season:
Potential Badger lineup
- 6-foot-4 Brad Davison
- 6-foot-5 Johnny Davis
- 6-foot-8 Aleem Ford
- 6-foot-11 Nate Reuvers
- 6-foot-10 Micah Potter
That is a long potential defensive lineup that should give not only the Hawkeyes but also the entire college basketball scene, a helluva time when trying to pass and score the basketball. Even without that lengthy lineup, though, the Badgers will remain a tough pushover on defense. Being able to rely on that steady defensive base gives Wisconsin the edge over Iowa; should be a major key as they scrape by the Hawkeyes on the trail to the Big Ten championship.
Both Wisconsin Basketball and Iowa Basketball are going to be great for the 2020-21 season. No matter who comes out on top between the two, both should be sitting atop the Big Ten standings at the end of the year, either way. There are solid cases for either team being better, but in my opinion, Wisconsin’s case – the one described in this article – is the stronger case. Wisconsin will be better than the Hawkeyes in 2020-21, this article described why I’m thinking so.