Wisconsin basketball improved to 12-3 on the season and 2-2 in Big Ten play with an impressive road win at Rutgers on Monday.
The Badgers played far from a complete game. They turned the ball over 16 times and allowed Rutgers to grab 18 offensive rebounds. Significantly, they relinquished control to the Scarlet Knights after building a steady double-digit lead during the first half.
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But Wisconsin found a way to win. The team got big plays late on both sides of the court from Steven Crowl, Carter Gilmore and John Tonje. Where most of the team’s wins have been sizable due to red-hot shooting performances, this was a battle down to the final minutes. That method of victory is impressive for a team that had previously struggled to close such games.
John Blackwell led the way for the Badgers with 21 points, four rebounds and three assists on eight-of-15 shooting, Crowl delivered his best performance of the year with 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists on eight-of-11 shooting and Tonje, who hit big shots late, finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and two assists on six-of-12 shooting.
For more on the Badgers’ performance and what it means, here are our biggest takeaways from their impressive win over Rutgers:
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) goes to the basket against Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Ace Bailey (4) during the first half at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The following sequence led to the mentioned victory: Wisconsin led just 60-57 with 6:45 left after Rutgers’ second-half surge evened the game. John Tonje then hit a three to stop Rutgers’ momentum and extend the lead (63-57), Steven Crowl grabbed several important defensive rebounds off Rutgers misses before following a Kamari McGee miss with a put-back layup (65-57). That eight-point lead was later extended by big free throws from Tonje (67-59 — Wisconsin’s first FTs of the contest), a big defensive play by Carter Gilmore and a McGee layup on a beautiful pass from Crowl (69-59).
That sequence defines a resilient outing from Greg Gard’s team. It overcame injuries to Max Klesmit and Nolan Winter, a lopsided free-throw total and numerous mistakes. With the game in the balance, Tonje, Crowl, McGee and Gilmore shut the door. That’s a big sign moving forward.
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard talks with a referee during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Wisconsin overcame the tough environment of the Rutgers Athletic Center to exit with a win. More importantly, it survived a game where it did not attempt a free throw until there was 3:30 remaining in the contest. The Badgers entered averaging 19 free throw attempts per game. The team attempted upwards of 25 two-pointers against Rutgers before a single shooting foul was called. For reference, the Scarlet Knights attempted 13 free throws before the Badgers saw the line.
That discrepancy, paired with Wisconsin’s high turnover total, was the reason the game stayed close. The Badgers overcoming that adversity is an important takeaway from the performance.
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Jeremiah Williams (25) shoots the ball as Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) defends during the first half at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Wisconsin’s struggles on the margins (turnovers, free-throws, defensive rebounding) were the reason the game stayed close. The shooting stats portray yet another dominant effort by Gard’s new-look offensive attack. The Badgers finished with 31 makes on 57 attempts, plus seven-of-22 from three-point range. They also added a six-for-six clip from the free-throw line in the final three minutes.
Those numbers are all down from the record-setting win over Iowa. But they are impressive for a road environment that usually gives the team trouble — 75 points are the most the program has ever scored at the RAC.
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) looks on from the bench during a time out during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Rutgers star freshman Dylan Harper entered Monday averaging 22.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 52.3% shooting. He had missed the team’s prior game with an illness. While he suited up and played 15 minutes, he was far from 100%. The former five-star recruit finished the contest with zero points and four rebounds on 0-of-two shooting.
Fellow five-star freshman Ace Bailey struggled with his shot (nine points of 3-of-16 shooting). While Tyson Acuff registered a career outing (17 points), the team was unable to keep up without their star freshmen excelling.
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) rebounds in front of guard Camren Hunter (3) during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Crowl and Tonje grabbed several big defensive rebounds late to seal the victory. But part of the reason the game was even competitive was Rutgers’ work on the offensive glass — the Scarlet Knights grabbed 18 total offensive rebounds. Rutgers did shoot just 34.2% from the floor, allowing numerous opportunities for offensive boards.
Still, it’s no coincidence that Wisconsin finally created separation when it held Rutgers off the glass in the final moments.
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Max Klesmit (11) is looked at by medical staff during the second half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Wisconsin had yet to face a short-handed situation this season. That was the reality with Klesmit and Winter each down with injuries during the second half. Wisconsin inserted veterans Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore in their absences. As mentioned previously, each made significant plays down the stretch to seal the victory.
Greg Gard deserves a ton of credit for this hard-fought victory. His game management and player development were both on full display as McGee, Gilmore and Crowl decided the game late.
Jan 6, 2025; Piscataway, New Jersey, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) reacts after making a three point basket during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Jersey Mike’s Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Big-picture: Wisconsin is rounding into form.
The team looks several steps better than the one that dropped consecutive games to Michigan, Illinois and Marquette earlier in the year. While those teams are all among the best in the sport, the current Badgers would have found different results during that stretch.
That improvement is due to emerging play from John Blackwell, improved play from Crowl, team-wide hot shooting and improved late-game execution. We figured this Wisconsin team would only get better as the season continued. That is clearly in the process of happening after two important Big Ten wins.
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