Micah Potter is needed for Wisconsin Basketball to beat UNC Tar Heels

Mar 7, 2021; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard talks with guard Trevor Anderson (12) and guard Brad Davison (left) and forward Micah Potter (11) late in the game during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

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Wisconsin Basketball Nate Reuvers Micah Potter Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Win the Battle Inside the Three-Point Line

The greatest similarity between these two squads comes with their outside shooting, which can only be described as lackluster at best. The Tar Heels shot 31.7% from deep this year, the ACC’s third-lowest mark. Collectively, the Badgers shot 35.9% from three-point land this year but shot only 32.7% during league play.

With both UNC and Wisconsin as weaker three-point shooting teams, it seems very likely that this game’s fate goes decided from inside the three-point arc. Wisconsin might struggle with this given North Carolina’s nation-wide superiority as a rebounding team, but if they manage to win this battle, North Carolina looks as good as dead.

Neutralizing Armando Barcot (12.2 PPG and 8.0 RPG), Garrison Brooks (10.2 PPG and 6.8 RPG), and Day’Ron Sharpe (9.7 PPG and 7.8 RPG) seems like too tall a task to even consider for Wisconsin. But if they can slow down at least one or perhaps two members a part of this three-headed monster, things might tip their way.

To accomplish this, a big game from leading rebounder Micah Potter needs to occur for the Badgers. During the team’s narrow loss to Iowa during the Big Ten tournament, Potter put up a 17-point and 8-rebound game while playing 27 minutes. Currently averaging only 21.7 MPG this year, Coach Gard will certainly need to keep feeding Potter additional minutes.

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