Badger Bits: Wisconsin doesn't allow opponents to shoot many threes

by Sam Zastrow on Feb 10, 2012 9:01 AM CST in Badger Bits

There are plenty of reasons the Badgers have had success year in and year out on defense. They always play at an extremely deliberate pace (slowest in the nation this season). They're coached well. They're fundamentally sound. They move their feet well. They don't foul. The list goes on and on.

But Ken Pomeroy has identified another, perhaps even more significant reason the Badgers defense has been so stingy. From season to season, Wisconsin's opponents don't shoot a lot of threes (Insider account required), which obviously has a significant impact on the amount of points they score.

As KenPom explains, basketball teams don't have a lot of control of how well opponents shoot threes. In fact, there's a higher correlation from season-to-season basis on opponents' free throw percentage than three-point percentage. I know, that hardly sounds believable, but the point is, the best way to limit the amount of points your opponents score from beyond the arc is to limit their attempts.

And the Badgers, perhaps unsurprisingly, are very, very good at that. Though Minnesota was forced to jack up 17 threes to make a comeback at the end of the Badgers' 68-61 win Thursday, Wisconsin's last three opponents shot only seven, eight and 10 threes, echoing KenPom's statistics.

Links

Highly-regarded Wisconsin recruit Sam Dekker wasn't invited to the McDonald's All-American Game, but he'll be playing in two other all-star games.

Here's Jeff Potrykus with some more thoughts on last night's game.

Bret Bielema had some kind words for Aaron Henry at the 32nd Annual Badger Day.

Two ESPN writers explain why the Big Ten is the nation's top basketball conference. (Insider required)

Check out how the 1998 Badgers fared in the first round of Off Tackle Empire's all-time Big Ten football tournament.

Barry Alvarez is open to the idea of a college football playoff.

A third person has reported misconduct by former associate athletic director John Chadima.

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Badgers Football Schedule

UNLV	Thu 09/01	W 51 - 17
Oregon St. Building The Dam	Sat 09/10	W 35 - 0
@ Northern Illinois Red And Black Attack	Sat 09/17	W 49 - 7
South Dakota Coyotes	Sat 09/24	W 59 - 10
Nebraska Corn Nation	Sat 10/01	W 48 - 17
Indiana The Crimson Quarry	Sat 10/15	W 59 - 7
@ Michigan St. The Only Colors	Sat 10/22	L 31 - 37
@ Ohio St. Along The Olentangy	Sat 10/29	L 29 - 33
Purdue Hammer and Rails	Sat 11/05	W 62 - 17
@ Minnesota The Daily Gopher	Sat 11/12	W 42 - 13
@ Illinois Hail to the Orange	Sat 11/19	W 28 - 17
Penn St. Black Shoe Diaries	Sat 11/26	W 45 - 7
@ Michigan St. The Only Colors	Sat 12/03	W 42 - 39
@ Oregon Addicted To Quack	Mon 01/02	L 38 - 45