Two games into the season and the Wisconsin Badgers are a perfect 2-0 for head man Greg Gard. This week has featured convincing wins over Holy Cross and Montana State, two teams the Badgers were expected to take down.
One area of concern has been the 3-point shooting efforts, as the Badgers haven't quite caught fire in that department just yet. However, the same can't be said for the team's performance at the charity stripe, as they've been nearly perfect.
In the 79-67 win over Montana State, Wisconsin shot 20-of-21 from the free-throw line. In the victory over Holy Cross, the team went 16-of-17. In 37 attempts, they've missed just one FT in two games? That's tremendous shooting and a stat Gard must be over the moon about.
The #Badgers went 20-for-21 at the free throw line against Montana State and is now 36-for-37 on the season from the charity stripe.
— Dillon Graff (@DillonGraff) November 8, 2024
Wisconsin men's hoops is a perfect 2-0 to start the new season
As we all know, being consistent from the free-throw line can make or break games for teams. The fact that Gard's players have been getting in their reps during practice and they're mastering things early on this campaign is a great sign.
In the win over Holy Cross, transfer wing John Tonje looked sharp and he led the way on offense for Wisconsin. Then in the victory over Montana State, it was senior guard Max Klesmit who looked superb, as he poured in a game-high 26 points, including going 6-of-11 from downtown.
There are still some things for the Badgers to clean up on both ends of the floor before Big Ten play gets here, but we've also seen plenty of promising signs from the guys on the hardwood. More of the same will be needed as the weeks go by.
Following the wins over Holy Cross and Montana State, next up for the Badgers is another home game on Sunday, this time against Appalachian State. It's a game Wisconsin is expected to have no issues with. If they keep on looking so hot from the free-throw line, then another double-digit win very well could be on the way this weekend.