After defeating Virginia Cavaliers On Monday, the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the SMU Mustangs 69-61 in the finals of the Fort Myers Classic, taking home some season hardware with a comeback win.
The Badgers struggled offensively to start the game, shooting 11-of-34 in the first half and 1-of-14 from three, but held on to an eight-point deficit.
Then, with some offensive resurgence from Max Klemit, Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn, the Badgers mounted a strong second-half comeback, eventually winning in the final.
Here’s a quick takeaway from the Badgers’ 69-61 win over SMU.
Tyler’s choice
After Steven Crowe’s dominant 15-point, 10-rebound performance against the Virginia Cavaliers on Monday, it seemed clear that SMU was looking to double-double him every time, forcing the big man to be an adjuster.
That means Wisconsin will have to find a different way to score down low, and they found that in Tyler Wahl.
I’ve been a fan of Wahl working more as a downhill driver off the dribble than as a post-up player, and that element was on display Wednesday, with Wahl scoring 14 points on 6/11 shooting.
Wahl’s aggressiveness was crucial for a Badgers team that struggled to hit threes, as he had eight points on 4-of-7 shooting in the first half and six points on 2-of-4 shooting in the second half.
The Badgers have been waiting for this Wahl form to show, and he did so in a crucial area when he struggled mightily against Wisconsin on the offensive end.
AJ Storr also had a few good drives, forcing SMU’s hand at the rim, but it was the drive and finish that won this game for Wisconsin, courtesy of Wahl.
Three-point shooting
From the jump, it was clear that Wisconsin would live and die by three-pointers, which is what SMU’s defense wanted to push the ball out of the paint.
The Badgers had a lot of open threes on the day, with a good passer doubling Crowl in a row and… they struggled early.
They went 1/14 shooting from deep heading into halftime and missed 14 straight threes at one point in the game.
However, the three-pointer brought them back here, as Max Klemit hit a pair of goals to keep the low-scoring affair going in the second half.
With regard to the shooters on the roster, Wisconsin probably shoots better at three forwards, but they have struggled from deep to start the regular season and those issues continued on Wednesday.
But one thing was clear: Wisconsin didn’t have the confidence to shoot the three.
Defense
Now, SMU hit three plays in this game, but I honestly thought Wisconsin played well defensively, especially in the paint.
While the Mustangs were scoring well early from deep, the Badgers had active hands on defense, forcing several turnovers, and SMU finished with 16 turnovers in the game.
The Badgers also dominated the glass on both ends, not allowing many second-chance opportunities while getting multiple offensive attempts against their smaller opponents.
While they have struggled offensively on the road, the Badgers will need their defense to match up, especially against a fast and athletic SMI team.
I’ve been impressed by Wisconsin’s defense in both contests this season, which is why the program has faith in its three-point woes to start with some positives.