Wisconsin Basketball Pulls Away Late to Defeat Robert Morris

Wisconsin basketball needed to wash the sour taste of a blowout loss to Providence out of its mouth. The Wisconsin Badgers may not have entirely done that with a 78-68 win over Robert Morris. At the very least, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard’s squad avoided disaster.

It was an odd shooting night, with UW seemingly unable to shoot from deep, but RMU unable to get anything going inside. Eventually, Wisconsin basketball won a statistical war of attrition.

Wisconsin Basketball Has Serious Three-Point Shooting Problems

Three-point shooting kept Robert Morris in this game. The Badgers started the day going 0-9 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, RMU made 12 of its first 22 attempts from deep. UW came into the day shooting just 17 of 56 from three-point range. Now, Wisconsin is shooting even worse on the season at 28.9%.

Nov 17, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard draws up a play for Wisconsin Badgers guard Kamari McGee (4) during the first half against the Robert Morris Colonials at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Watching a program that has had so many recognizable deep-ball shooters be this poor from beyond the arc is jarring. So, where are Gard’s three-point shooters?

The most obvious candidate is Connor Essegian. The sophomore was, however, injured in the season opener against Arkansas State. In the three games since, he has seen limited minutes. In fact, the former Indiana Mr. Basketball finalist did not play for a second of the second half against Robert Morris. After starting for Wisconsin basketball last season, his lack of minutes has been a surprise.

Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl Answer the Call for the Wisconsin Badgers

Gard all but laid down a gauntlet after Wisconsin basketball lost to Providence. He wanted to see more of an effort by his starting forwards, Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl, to finish shots around the rim. Facing a Robert Morris team that lacked the size to truly challenge the Wisconsin Badgers in the paint, Wahl and Crowl answered Gard’s challenge.

Nov 17, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Steven Crowl (22) looks to the basket under coverage by Robert Morris Colonials forward Trey James (50) during the first half at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Wahl got after it early. He recorded three rebounds in the first half, including two on the offensive glass. The Lakeville North High School product scored 18 points on the day on perfect 5-5 shooting from the floor and 8-12 from the free throw line.

Crowl finished the day two rebounds shy of a double-double. The junior center matched Wahl’s 16 points by making seven of his nine shots from the field. Crowl also made two of his six attempts from the free-throw line.

Overall, Wisconsin basketball won this game by scoring around the rim. The Wisconsin Badgers outscored Robert Morris 42-16 in the paint. That 26-point margin overcame the 17-point advantage the Colonials had on three-pointers.

Wisconsin Basketball Freshman John Blackwell Continues Impressive Freshman Campaign

Perhaps the brightest spot on the night came from John Blackwell. The Badgers freshman matched Wahl’s 18 points to lead all scorers on the day, but Blackwell scored those 18 points in just 18 minutes of action. The former three-star recruit from Michigan showcased an ability to score from all levels. He made two three-pointers, shot 4-5 from the field, and drained eight of his ten free throw attempts.

Blackwell has emerged as one of Wisconsin’s best options off the bench. In comments after the victory over RMU, Gard praised Blackwell’s “defensive awareness” mentioning that he is advanced beyond what a typical freshman would be.

Through UW’s first three games, the six-foot-four-inch guard averaged 7.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per game. It would not be shocking to see all of those figures increase as Wisconsin enters Big Ten play.

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