At the end of January, the Badgers were 8-1 in Big Ten play and first in the conference. Now after a 1-7 stint in February, they sit in fourth place just above the University of Nebraska. With the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis just under a month away, it’s time to think about how the standings will pan out for the Badgers. Despite the Badgers’ recent recession, they still hold one of four second-round byes in the tournament. Will this stay true after the Badgers’ last five games?
Let’s take a glance at the last five contests the Badgers will take on and what they need to improve on before heading into the tournament March 13.
Feb. 20 vs Maryland
This was the first and only scheduled matchup against the Terrapins this year. Their main threat on offense is 5th-year senior Jahmir Young who’s averaging 21.3 PPG this year. In addition to Young’s excellence on the offensive side, the Terrapins’ defense is exceptional, ranking 6th in the country. But, the Badgers’ offense bounced back after the loss at Iowa, especially junior Max Klesmit after his four points from two-of-10 shooting. The incredibly high scoring game, Wisconsin with 74 points and Maryland with 70 points, saw forward Tyler Wahl score 18 points and Klesmit score 16 points. The Badgers maintained a comfortable lead of 63-56 in the third quarter but felt great pressure as the game tightened up in the end to 72-70 before Klemsit made two free throws for the final points. UW finished with the notable stat from the free throw line going 28-for-31 on the night, including 11 of those 12 free throws shot in the final quarter. Klesmit finished with a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe whereas Maryland’s leading scorer, Young, was held to just 6-for-17 shooting Tuesday night.
Feb. 27 at Indiana
The Hoosiers and Badgers already faced off at the Kohl Center this season, where the Badgers won 91–79 Jan. 19. Now, the Badgers head to Assembly Hall, one of the most electric atmospheres in all of college basketball. After the Hoosiers lost both forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and guard Jalen Hood-Schifino to the NBA Draft, they also took a decrease in production, similar to Maryland. Forward Malik Reneau and center Kel’el Ware are threats on both sides of the floor, Reneau averaging 15.7 PPG and 6.1 RPG and Ware averaging 15 PPG and 9.4 RPG. Head coach Greg Gard emphasized the importance of aggressive defense after the win vs Ohio State Feb. 13. If junior Steven Crowl and Wahl can get aggressive on both sides of the ball against Ware and Reneau, the Badgers should take care of this one, despite Assembly Hall’s environment.
Mar. 2 vs Illinois
The outcome of the Feb. 27 game against Indiana plays a huge role in the Badgers’ attitude toward this great matchup. If the Badgers drop the game against the Hoosiers, that would further motivate the team to pick up a big win at home against the current second seed in the conference the Fighting Illini. The Illini have several weapons all across the floor, the central piece being fifth year senior Terrance Shannon Jr. who’s averaging 21.4 PPG while shooting 47% from the field. They also have the tenth best offense in the nation. The X-factor in this game would have to be guard AJ Storr. After the win over Ohio State, he added how getting to the free throw line early helps him get in his zone. Storr could do some damage against Shannon Jr. who has been a liability for the Fighting Illini defense at times. But, Shannon Jr. and forward Coleman Hawkins are too much for the Badgers. The Badgers would drop this one due to Illinois’ explosive offense.
Mar. 7 vs Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights handed the Badgers arguably their worst and most embarrassing loss of the season so far Feb. 10, where Rutgers won 78–56. Despite this 22-point loss, the Badgers are still a far superior team than the Scarlet Knights. Feb. 10, the Badgers shot a measly 23.8% from the three-point line and 59.1% from the free throw line, while Rutgers shot 58.8% from three and 88.9% from the free throw line. These differences are not consistent with the Badgers’ usual production on the offensive side. The Badgers should be able to get revenge at the Kohl Center against the Scarlet Knights.
Mar. 10 at Purdue
The Boilermakers and the clear National Player of the Year favorite center Zach Edey have been dominating the entire nation by going undefeated in non-conference play and spending several weeks at No.2 on the AP Poll. The Badgers and Boilermakers faced off on Feb. 4 where the Badgers came up just short 69–75 after being down just two at halftime. While Purdue has lost a few games to inferior opponents in conference play, the Boilermakers are undefeated in Mackey this year. There is a reality where Crowl finds his aggressiveness and limits Edey like he did in the first half last game. Yet, this allowed shooters like guard Lance Jones and guard Braden Smith to find their rhythm down the stretch and hit some crucial shots down the stretch.
Big Ten Tournament
It seems every year now the Big Ten Tournament has a surprise team make a run in the tourney. For instance, in 2023 13-seed Ohio State made it to the semi-finals after beating the Badgers in the first round. With the team’s recent bad play, fans and analysts now have doubts about whether the Badgers have what it takes to make a run in March. People are overlooking this late conference-play slump because it can sometimes be beneficial in March due to teams having experience in close games. There’s a clear-cut possibility that the Badgers could make it to the semi-finals, if not finals, in the Big Ten Tournament. This team also has the experience and talent to make a run in March Madness. Especially after not even making the tournament last year. Don’t be surprised if the Badgers make a final-four run.
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