Wisconsin Badgers
Indiana
Five Things to Know: Wisconsin vs. Indiana
January 17, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Badgers look to bounce back at home
MADISON, Wis. — Returning home, the No. 11 Wisconsin men's basketball team looks to bounce back with a win on Friday when it hosts Indiana at the Kohl Center. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m. (CT) on FS1.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:
1. LAST TIME OUT
AJ Storr scored 23 points and Steven Crowl added a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double, but No. 11 Wisconsin fell short on the road against Penn State in an 87-83 loss on Tuesday night.
The Badgers (13-4, 5-1) turned the ball over 13 times, including eight in the first half alone, and suffered their first Big Ten loss of the season.
Kanye Clary scored 27 points for the Nittany Lions, and Ace Baldwin Jr. added 20.
After cutting the deficit to 39-35 at halftime, the Badgers battled back in the second half and took their first lead of the game with 5:01 left. Max Klesmit then hit a 3-pointer that made it 70-68.
The lead wouldn't last, however, as Penn State went on a 17-10 run that saw Nick Kern and Baldwin combine to go 9-for-9 at the free throw line.
2. SERIES HISTORY
Friday's game marks the 177th meeting between Wisconsin and Indiana dating back to 1910. The Hoosiers lead the all-time series, 98-79.
UW has won 23 of the last 27 matchups with Indiana, including 10 of the last 12.
Greg Gard is 10-3 in his career against Indiana. In fact, the Badgers led by Gard are a perfect 6-0 vs. Indiana at the Kohl Center.
In last season's lone meeting, Wisconsin suffered a 63-45 loss against Indiana at Assembly Hall in Bloomington. UW was without leading scorer Tyler Wahl (injury). Indiana native Connor Essegian posted the first double-double of his career with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
3. ON THE OFFENSIVE
Wisconsin has scored 70 or more points in 11 consecutive games, the team's longest such streak since a 13-game run in the 1970-71 season. That team set the program scoring record averaging 86.3 points per game.
The Badgers are averaging 75.6 points per contest this season, which would be the team's highest scoring mark since averaging 77.9 points per game in 1993-94.
4. TAKING WHAT'S FREE
Wisconsin leads the Big Ten this season in free throw percentage, shooting 271-for-352 (77.0%) from the charity stripe. The Badgers are averaging 20.7 free throw attempts per game, which is an increase of 6.4 more per game from a year ago (14.3 FTAs per game in 2022-23).
Individually, two Badgers rank top 10 in the Big Ten in free throw percentage. AJ Storr ranks 5th in the league making 50-of-59 (84.7% FT), while John Blackwell ranks eighth having converted 50-of-60 (83.3% FT) at the line.
5. MAX-IMUM EFFORT
Max Klesmit has elevated his game offensively the last three games, averaging 17.3 points per game shooting 66.7 percent from the floor, including 9-for-13 from beyond the arc.
Klesmit scored 24 points (9-13 FG, 4-6 3FG) in Wisconsin's win at home over Northwestern last Saturday, his most as a Badger.
