First thoughts on Wisconsin’s 85-78 victory over Arizona in the West Region final.
Decisive run
Wisconsin opened the second half hitting eight of their first ten from the floor including six of seven behind the arc. Wisconsin turned a three-point halftime deficit into a nine-point advantage with 10:55 remaining. Sam Dekker scored nine (three 3-pointers) and Frank Kaminsky 10 in the 27-15 run.
Bookends
Dekker (27) and Kaminsky (29) combined for 56 of Wisconsin’s points. Kaminsky netted 13 in the first half. Dekker scored 20 in the second stanza.
No confusion about Arizona’s attack
Of Arizona’s 78 points, 38 came in the paint and 28 from the free throw line. The Wildcats attacked the rim and hoped to force Wisconsin into decisions to defend and take the chance on fouling or surrender.
So much for the defense…on second thought…
The teams shot a combined 49-of-88 or 55.6 percent from the floor. At first glance it doesn’t appear the Jimmies and Joes did much on the defensive end. But Wisconsin slowed Arizona to a point where the Wildcats took fewer shots. The Cats came in averaging 55 shots per game. Against the Badgers, Arizona had 43 attempts. Wisconsin’s nine turnovers (Arizona forces 13.5) gave the Wildcats fewer advantage (2v1, 3v2) opportunities.
Feeling the venom
Arizona missed 19 field goal attempts, went 28-of-30 from the free throw line, won the battle of the boards 22-21 and still lost. The Wildcats drew 21 fouls (Wisconsin came into the game leading the country with just 12.2 infractions per contest). The difference? Wisconsin outscored the ‘Cats 36-6 behind the arc. Worth noting Arizona held opponents to 32.6 percent from long range. The Badgers shot 12-of-18 – 66.7 percent.
They said it
Arizona’s Sean Miller: “I think we’ve tried everything. Going into the game, because we played them last year, we tried the best we could to hedge every on-ball screen that happened with Kaminsky. We did an excellent job, in my opinion, of that. That’s one of the reasons that our defense was organized and we were good at the half. Rondae did a really good job in the first half when he was on Kaminsky, but he’s not going to be able to just pitch a shutout. The problem was he can’t guard two people. When Sam Dekker does what he did, and I think some of the shots were very well defended, when he does that with Kaminsky, maybe Kentucky is that school that can beat them. But I’m telling you, I don’t know if there is another one out there when they’re clicking with that one-two punch. By the way, Nigel Hayes is pretty good, and he’ll keep you honest making a three as well. So you’re right. Same thing with post trap. Hey, you’ve got to double team Kaminsky. You can do that a few times and get away with it. But eventually when that ball gets out, everybody on the court can shoot it, and they get you with an open three that breaks your back. I think they had two threes at the half. Think about that. Two made threes at the half, one, and they had eight in the second half.”
Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky: “Yeah, I was a little out of control in the first half, throwing up some wild shots, trying to play too fast, trying to make everything. Get a 10-point lead in one shot. So I just knew I had to calm down in the second half and work through my teammates and work within the offense and try to figure out what we needed to do to push out the lead. And I was able to get some stuff inside. I hit a three to start the second half. So it was just one of those things where I was trying to make too many things happen in one possession. So just had to play it possession by possession.”
Et al
Arizona had the edge in second-chance points (6-5), fast-break points (3-0), bench points (13-5), points in the paint (38-26) and free throw points (28-23). Wisconsin had a 12-8 advantage in points off turnovers.
Where to from here
Wisconsin advances to the Final Four and a date with the Kentucky-Notre Dame winner.
Leave a Reply