Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard is shown during the first half of their game against Indiana Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
The Wisconsin basketball team has not only been one of the better teams in the country, but also a deadly team from the line.
Wisconsin completed the regular season sweep of the Minnesota Golden Gophers last night with a 74-67 win that saw the Badgers nail 22 free-throws. The Badgers entered the season with a new dedication to shooting the ball from outside the three-point line more, but the team has surprised many from the foul line.
Wisconsin Basketball Flourishing While Utilizing Foul Opportunities
Wisconsin Badgers coach Greg Gard
Feb 8, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard watches from the bench during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Wisconsin currently leads the NCAA with a free-throw percentage of 83.44%, nearly three-points higher than the second ranked Villanova Wildcats.
The Badgers have been an extremely accurate team, making the most of the chances given at the line while not even sitting in the top 40 schools in terms of free-throws attempted per game. Wisconsin currently averages 16.6 made free-throws per game, which ranks 30th in the NCAA, and has largely been able to put teams away this season due to the success multiple players have had at the line in particular.
Star guard John Tonje has 194 free-throw attempts this season which is tied for 30th in the nation while also being tied for fifth with 178 points from the line. Both Max Klesmit and Kamari McGee have also been successful from the line for the Wisconsin basketball team, with both guards shooting over 84% when at the foul line this season.
John Blackwell has also quietly been a developing force at the line as the guard continues to learn how to use his body and work his way into contact in the paint. Blackwell currently shoots 80.7% from the line with 92 makes on the season, which is over 30 more than Klesmit or McGee this season.
How has the Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Team Improved Offensively?
Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin guard John Tonje (9) listens to head coach Greg Gard during the second half of their game Saturday, February 22, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Oregon beat Wisconsin 77-73 in overtime.
A big key to the success of Wisconsin basketball this season has not just been the emergence of Tonje or the barrage of three-point shots, but rather the improvements the team has made at the foul line.
A season ago, the best free-throw shooter in the starting lineup for the Badgers was Klesmit, who shot 82.4% and made less than 70 shots from the line. Guard AJ Storr was the premier free-throw shooter for Wisconsin making 125 shots, but Storr only shot 81.2% from the line which made a productive trip to the line less than likely at times.
Adding a sure-bet at the line like Tonje has done wonders for the Wisconsin basketball team this season, and likely will become a deciding factor in games as the competition begins to intensify. Converting shots from the foul line is an amazing thing when a team can master it, but there is more to utilizing fouls than hitting shots.
Aside from the success of Tonje, Blackwell, Klesmit, and McGee have all improved at making it to the foul line more this season, which has provided the Wisconsin basketball team with more free point opportunities. The Wisconsin basketball team is learning how to use physicality to draw fouls this season, and hitting the shots has allowed for the Badgers to become a tough team to put away late in games.
Wisconsin closes out the regular season against the Penn State Nittany Lions, who have shown flashes of what could have been in the latter part of the season.
Wisconsin basketball guard John Tonje (9) slashes past Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0)
Mar 2, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) slashes past Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) during the first half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center.
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