Wisconsin Basketball: 3 ways the Badgers can beat Maryland again

I’m a bit of a number/stats guy. One of my favorite books of all time is “Moneyball”. I understand that you play the game on the court/field, not with numbers. However, when implemented correctly, using stats should put a player or team in more favorable situations. I’m trying to use some “advanced” analytics in mapping a way that Wisconsin can beat Maryland, again.

Utilize the front court

Usage rate is defined as the percentage of team plays used by a player when they are on the floor, showing how much of a team’s offense is run through a particular player. Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl had the highest usage rate in every conference win this season, not including the Minnesota game since Wahl left because of his ankle injury.

Perhaps a more telling side of this statistic is revealed by looking at Wisconsin’s losses. Again, without using the 3 games missed by Wahl, in every loss Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl led the team in usage. This doesn’t mean Hepburn is bad for the offense, just that the majority of the game should be run through the post.

The right guy at the right time

While the previous stat showed the importance of getting Steven Crowl more involved in the offense, it has to be the right type of involvement. Part of what makes Tyler Wahl such an integral part of the team is his high basketball IQ. Wahl is shooting 25% from 3-point range and because of this, only 14.1% of his shot attempts come from downtown.

Big Steve is a bit more proficient in his long-range shooting, hitting 26.8% of his bombs. The area that could use a little improvement is his shot selection, as 30.9% of his field goal attempts are from beyond the arc. In the last loss to Northwestern, three of Crowl’s seven shots were from distance. That’s 42.9% of his field goal attempts. Use your 7-foot height to your advantage.

History does repeat itself

Almost 50 days ago, Wisconsin handed Maryland their first loss, 64-59. Reviewing the game chart, Wahl led the Badgers is usage rate at 33.4%. The second-highest usage was Crowl 21.7%. Freshman Connor Essegian had the third-highest usage at 21.3%

42.9% of Crowl’s shots that evening came from distance, as he was four of seven from the field. He missed every 3-point attempt that night. Had he not taken those 3’s, he would have been 100% from the field.

It isn’t too early to begin thinking of March Madness and jockeying for high seeds. Stealing a win from a Big Ten foe at home would be very helpful when the committee starts the selection process. Let’s hope our boys can bounce back from Monday’s setback and spring a minor upset.