I remember playing in school and yes was taught to draw fouls but not by performing for an Oscar. It was usually below the hoop and told to always go up because if you are under the hoop it’s easy to draw a foul because your hands are going to get hit. So always go up. That is different teaching to draw a foul to what we see today.

The “Okay if you shoot and guy is in your face just fall down you will draw a foul.” It’s clear Wisconsin has been taught this. The last play you had three players falling to the ground trying to draw a foul. With 9 trying his best Oscar performance to win the game on foul. He is an excellent player but if actually drove to the hoop and played the game he would score more layups and 2s. Wisconsin relied on the foul call. 16 times for one player. That is roughly 32 points not counting any 3 point foul shots for one player. To me it’s doing a disservice to a skilled player like that to teach him to draw fouls.

This is the kind of thing that often makes the NBA unwatchable. Instead of playing basketball you are playing to the refs.

To many refs reward flops especially this game. I will say as much as I gripe about refs in the BIG12 I didn’t see near as many flops and refs swallowed their whistles.

To me it’s a terrible tactic to play to the refs. For starters it’s weak basketball. Secondly, if you fall down and a fast break happens and you don’t get the call, you are on your butt and your team is playing a man down.

In Wisconsin’s case it actually kept them in the game. Nearly a 1/4 of the Badgers final score is Free Throws… Which is wild.