It's been a perfect start for the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team this season. Favored to take down Holy Cross, Montana State and Appalachian State, the Badgers are 3-0 thus far this fall. It's just what Greg Gard was hoping for.
Yes, taking down lesser competition is something that needed to get done, but the fact of the matter here is that the Badgers have started off the season hot and it's going to give them confidence moving forward. Can we also talk about how great the team has been at the charity stripe?
Wisconsin has been close to perfect shooting from the free-throw line through three games which has been tremendous. Matter of fact, they're shooting 92.5 percent in that department, which actually is No. 1 in the country. You better believe Gard is loving that stat.
Wisconsin finished 13-for-16 (81.3%) from the free throw line. #Badgers are shooting an NCAA-leading 92.5% (49-for-53) from the line in the opening week.
— Benjamin Worgull (@TheBadgerNation) November 10, 2024
Wisconsin basketball leads the country in free-throw percentage
Those are pretty tremendous numbers for the opening week of the season. Last year, Wisconsin was solid from the free-throw line, shooting 75.9 percent. However, we all know how much missed FTs can impact a game, especially down the stretch.
The fact that this team is so hot to start the year is a great sign. Are we expecting the Badgers to keep things close to 92.5 percent for the rest of the campaign? Not a chance, but this sure is a good early sign. With Wisconsin at 3-0, the team's first big test is coming later this week.
Come Friday night, the No. 10 Arizona Wildcats are headed to the Kohl Center for what should be a tremendous showdown. The Wildcats are once again looking like one of the top teams in the country. In order for Gard and Co. to post an upset, they're going to have to bring their A-game. It goes without saying, but they'll need to execute from the FT line too if they want to record a stunner.