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

Get in UNC’s grill

With their shooting woes extending just a few more feet forward, the Tar Heels enter the tournament as a lousy free throw shooting team, collectively shooting 66.8% from the charity stripe. In acknowledging this, the Badgers need to take advantage and really blitz the Badgers while on defense.

As an above-average team with 3.8 BPG (88th nationally), Wisconsin already appears as a team accustomed to throwing block parties, and seems likely to insinuate trouble even against a tall team like the Tar Heels. But against a team that struggles to make their opponents pay after any potential fouls, the Badgers would be wise to challenge shooters without fear.

On the floor, Brad Davison and D’Mirtrik Trice need to hunt steals and worry not about forcing the team into the bonus. The backcourt pair only averages a singular collective steal per game, but with this extra edge at their dispose, Coach Gard needs to encourage them both to work as antagonistic forces.

This strategy remains a risk, especially if the Tar Heels lock-in and hit their shots, but to ignore the numbers and refrain from at least trying it out feels undoubtedly foolish. It too remains something to keep an eye on if the Badgers find themselves with a late deficit and in a “quick score then foul” scenario.