Badgers' three-point shooters are cooling but know they can't be timid

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The recent numbers appear to indicate Wisconsin’s three-point shooters need to be more selective.

In four-point losses at Rutgers and at Nebraska, UW shot a combined 21.9% from three-point range (7 of 32).

The message the UW staff has delivered to the players in the wake of those shooting performances?

Keep shooting.

“I think by and large our field-goal attempts, specifically from three, are pretty good,” assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft said. “We went back and looked at the way we’ve been structured in the past, and we’ve got to have guys be more aggressive, looking for their shot. 

“We can’t turn any open looks down from three. They know now what is a good shot and what’s not a great shot according to the way we need to play in order to win.

"We’ve had a few great looks that maybe we’ve turned down.”

Thriving from three-point range won’t be easy when the Badgers (9-9, 2-3 Big Ten) face No. 3 Purdue (17-2, 6-0) at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Mackey Arena.

Purdue is second in the Big Ten in three-point defense, limiting opponents to 31.8% shooting (130 of 409).

UW has a paucity of players capable of hitting consistently from beyond the three-point line.

Two starters — Khalil Iverson at 0 of 13 and Ethan Happ at 0 of 4 —​​​​​​​ aren't three-point threats at all. 

In the regular rotation, only Aleem Ford, Brad Davison and Brevin Pritzl have made at least 20 three-pointers and that trio isn't warming.

Ford is shooting 45.5% from three-point range but has made 1 of 5 attempts in the last two games and 2 of 10 shots overall.

“I just have to keep shooting with confidence,” Ford said. “I feel like the shots have been the same. I feel like I’ve been rushing them.”

Davison hit 4 of 13 three-point attempts (30.8%) in the two losses and in the last six games has made 10 of 34 attempts (29.4%).

“Personally, there’s a lot of shots I know I can make that I missed,” said Davison, who hit 1 of 5 attempts at Rutgers and 3 of 8 at Nebraska. “I think a lot of guys on the team can say that. ...

“Percentages always even out. So we might not have had two great shooting games but hopefully, we’ll be knocking them down at Purdue.”

Pritzl is 2 of 9 (22.2%) from three-point range in the last two games and is at 34.8% overall.

“I’ve got to shoot better,” Pritzl said. “If I’m not as aggressive, teams don’t have to guard me as hard.”

Pritzl’s frustration was evident after he buried a three-pointer from the right corner with one second left in the loss to Rutgers. He had missed his first three attempts in the game, including an open look on a set play with 1 minute, 23 seconds left and UW trailing by two points. 

“I was (peeved),” Pritzl said. “That was the hardest one I had taken – in transition, stop and pop. And I drilled it.”

The overwhelming majority of the three-point attempts in the losses to Rutgers and Nebraska were good shots. 

Against Nebraska, they generally came after UW first worked the ball inside and after Happ got the ball out against double-teams. 

Only one of the 32 three-point attempts came with more than 20 seconds left on the shot clock, though Krabbenhoft downplayed that factor. 

“We don’t worry so much about the timing of it,” he said. “(We) could skip ahead and the defense could forget who they’re matched up on and if you’re open you’ve got to shoot it. 

“They’ve got to come off hungry and ready to score. If it is there, step up and knock it down.”

Although the majority of the Badgers’ three-point attempts come from working the ball inside first or quickly reversing the ball on the perimeter, they have started running more specials to free players. 

Pritzl’s miss late at Rutgers came off a double screen – trap door – at the top of the key. It is a play UW ran successfully with Bronson Koenig.

"I’ve got to be more comfortable shooting the ball from different positions, coming off screens,” said Pritzl, who is averaging 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in the last four games. “That is something I was good at, but I kind of got away from it because the way we play I’m normally a spot-up guy. 

“We need threes. It is hard to win games scoring 90% of your points in the paint. 

“You need three-pointers in this day and age. Unfortunately, we’re not hitting those at a high clip.”