The huge win over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday propelled Wisconsin basketball to the top of the nation in a statistic that you wouldn’t expect. You’d think that maybe it’s offensive scoring or three-point shooting after they went crazy with 116 points and a record-breaking 21 three-pointers made. It wasn’t either of those; it was another impressive performance they had against Iowa but also throughout the rest of the season that they now rank top of the nation in: free-throw percentage.
Wisconsin (@BadgerMBB) against Iowa today:
115+ points
60.0+ FG%
65.0+ 3P%
85.0+ FT%No other DI team (men or women) has done that against another DI opponent in the last 25 seasons. pic.twitter.com/bnN8z3L40X
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) January 4, 2025
Wisconsin Badgers lead the nation in free-throw percentage at 85.26%.
They went 15-17 at the line, which is a staggering 88.7%. This jumped them up to the nation’s best 85.26% at the line. They are now on pace for 85.3% free-throw percentage, which would become a Big Ten record, according to the Wisconsin Badgers social media account.
This is a very important statistic in basketball to win games, especially during tournament time. The way the modern game of basketball is closed out is at the line. Teams trying to climb back into a game will foul to try to slow down the clock and create extra opportunities. If the Badgers can continue shooting exceptionally at the line, there will be a big difference in wins instead of losses. If Wisconsin can find its way into the tournament, this stat will make a huge difference in how far it can go in the bracket.
They also scored 15 points against Iowa this way. That’s a good clip, but it could be even better, as getting to the line may be a secret weapon for the Badgers and something that should be part of the game plan.
The Badgers have six players over 80% on the season at the line: Markus Ilver, John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Xavier Amos, John Blackwell, and Nolan Winter. They also have three players over 70% at the line Steven Crowl, Kamari McGee, and Carter Gilmore. This is a deep lineup of guys that Greg Gard can trust late in games.
