The Badgers finished these past two weeks with a 2-2 record and have gone from number thirteen in the country to number six, then back down to number eleven now. They would start on a Tuesday Night in a thrilling rivalry game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
This Week
@Minnesota
This first game of the week for the newly ranked number thirteen in the nation, Wisconsin Badgers, would be a thriller. Winning on the road in the Big Ten Conference is never easy, and that proved to be the case once again. While the Badgers would fight through the adversity and come out on top of a 61-59 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers, they would have to earn every bucket despite being up by ten at halftime. The Badgers would get off to a hot start, as AJ Storr, who led the team in points with eight at the break, would run the offense for the first half. The Gophers would catch on fire quickly and make this game a nail-biter as it would come down to a missed shot as time expired for the Badgers to hold on for a win in the Barn.
Home Against Michigan State
This game was the most dominant of the last four for the Badgers. While they already played the Spartans, Wisconsin would welcome in Tom Izzo and company for round two. AJ Storr would once again spark the team and dominate the offensive end. He would lead the game in scoring by a large margin, scoring 28 points. Steven Crowl would pair with Storr, posting a 15-point, 7-rebound game, and Connor Essegian would add another 8 points in only six minutes for the Badgers as they would go on to win this one 81-66. Not only did the defense limit the Spartans to 66, but the offense also sparked for 81, and the Badgers would sweep the Spartans for the first time in two decades.
Heading into Nebraska the following week, the Badgers saw themselves rise from number thirteen in the country to number six after a slate of top ten losses to boost them up.
@Nebraska
In a first half that was one of the most dominant the team has played this season, the Badgers were looking twenty minutes out from a huge road win against Nebraska. That's when everything that could go wrong went wrong. The Badgers saw Nebraska get hot as C.J. Wilcher, who only averaged just above 9 points per game, would go off for 22 on the way to an 18-point comeback for the Huskers' as they took down Wisconsin in overtime 80-72. The Badgers collapsed for a second straight year in Nebraska, and despite another 28-point game from AJ Storr, it wouldn't be enough to overcome a sudden streak of Nebraska three-pointers. The Badgers will split the regular season series with Nebraska at 1-1.
Home Against #2 Purdue
Coming off of the Nebraska collapse, the #6 Badgers would take on the #2 Boilermakers at home in the Kohl Center. This would be a pretty bounce-back opportunity for the Badgers as they would have a chance to add a big win and take their spot back at the top of the Big Ten. Tyler Wahl would be the best player in this one for Wisconsin, scoring a team-high 20 points while adding seven rebounds and five assists. Zach Edey will always have his presence talked about due to his size in the paint, but the Purdue guards playing exceptionally well off of the Purdue big men and their screens would prove to give the Badgers the most trouble in a 75-69 loss at home. Purdue would stay put at number two in the AP Poll, and Wisconsin would drop to number eleven in the updated poll that came out Monday. Wisconsin has one more game against the Boilermakers on the road in March, and it happens to be the regular season finale for both teams in what could prove to be a game for the Conference.
(Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Comments