By PAUL GOTHAM
Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers know Super Smash Brothers and FIFA World Cup. Saturday night the Badgers showed they can make a simple seesaw go level.
Frank Kaminsky led four in double figures as Wisconsin ousted Kentucky 71-64 in the national semi-finals.
Known for their offensive prowess (leading the nation scoring 127.5 points/100 possessions per KenPom.com), Wisconsin’s late efforts on the defensive end and work on the glass which made the difference. The Badgers outrebounded Kentucky 34-22. The Wildcats came into the game with a rebound margin of +7.3 (11th in the nation). UK averaged 12. 8 offensive rebounds and 25.1 on the defensive end. Against UW, the Cats managed just six and 16. Most importantly were the six offensive rebounds which Kentucky converted into just six second-chance points in comparison to 13 for Wisconsin.
Twenty-two represents UK’s second-lowest effort of the season on the boards. The Wildcats grabbed just 21 boards in a win over Alabama on January 31st. In that game, the Wildcats shot 24-of-41 from the floor and grabbed five offensive boards or 29 percent of the available rebounds from their own missed shots. Saturday, Wisconsin limited the Cats to 26-of-54 shooting and 21 percent of the available rebounds.
Wisconsin’s defense also had a hand in creating a trio of late shot clock violations. With Kentucky looking to get the ball inside, the Badgers clogged the lane and took away opportunities.
Sam Dekker scored six of his 16 points late, and as the Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus and CineSport’s Noah Coslov explain, the Badgers’ balanced offense proved too much.
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