AJ Storr during a home game

Men's Basketball

Five Things to Know: Wisconsin vs. Indiana

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:

Badgers huddle during a road game
John Blackwell, Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl huddle

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.

Connor Essegian during a game at Indiana in 2023
Connor Essegian during a game at Indiana in 2023

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.

John Blackwell celebrates a made 3-pointer
John Blackwell celebrates a made 3-pointer

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.

AJ Storr at the free throw line
AJ Storr at the free throw line

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.

Max Klesmit during a game against Northwestern
Max Klesmit during a game against Northwestern

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.

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