Wisconsin is best team in the nation in a stat that helps win NCAA Tournament games
The Wisconsin Badgers are ranked in the top 10 in offensive efficiency according to KenPom metrics. To be exact, they are 6th in the nation in this category, which is an impressive number and something that national champions of years past have in common. They all go into the tournament at the top of the offensive efficiency rankings.
Wisconsin, though, is leading the way in a stat that is absolutely essential come NCAA tournament time: halfcourt efficiency. Isaac Trotter decided to remove the fastbreak points and just look at the halfcourt offensive efficiency, and one team came out on top… you guessed it, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin is currently the best team in the nation in the half-court offense
The half-court offense becomes essential in the NCAA tournament because you are playing the best of the best. The top teams in the country and most top teams are good at not turning the ball over, and thus, the fastbreak point chances get limited. There will be some, but the teams succeeding in March Madness need an efficient and effective half-court offense.
Wisconsin currently has the best in the nation. But look at the rest of that list; it’s literally a who’s who of coaches. Missouri may be the surprising team on the list, but the rest have exceptional players and coaches. Even with Villanova having a down year, they can still get things going in the half-court. That ended up being one of their keys to success, beating Marquette last night.
There are a lot of stats flying around and a lot of hype being thrown out there for Wisconsin, but this one may be a bit under the radar and, ultimately, the most important stat so far. The ability to score in a setup offense is going to be vital for the Badgers coming into March.
