With the Big Ten Tournament under wraps, it’s officially single-elimination time for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team.
After their 65-52 loss to the Michigan State Spartans in the semifinals of the conference tournament in Indianapolis, the Badgers earned a No. 4 seed in the East Regional bracket of the NCAA tournament. The Badgers will face the No. 13 seed Montana Grizzlies Thursday afternoon in Albuquerque, N.M.
Though the Badgers’ run in Indianapolis likely ended earlier than they wanted, a 79-71 win over Indiana on Friday broke UW’s string of three consecutive one-and-done appearances in the Big Ten Tournament. Furthermore, after MSU proceeded to win the whole tourney, the Spartans proved their talent by earning a No. 1 seed in the West Regional bracket of the NCAA tournament.
Offense: 4 out of 5
If Wisconsin’s first game in the Big Ten Tournament were isolated, this grade would most likely be a perfect 5. Against the Hoosiers, the Badgers scored 79 points, shot 48.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range and had four players score in double figures (Josh Gasser also finished with nine points).
Most notably, senior swingman Rob Wilson continued his stretch of strong play off the bench – and then some. Wilson scored a career-high 30 points by making 11-of-16 shots, including 7-of-10 from 3-point range. On one of those nights where every shot seems to be going in, Wilson provided an undeniable spark for Wisconsin. On more than one occasion, a Wilson 3-pointer forced Indiana into a timeout, sending Wisconsin’s own bench flooding onto the court to congratulate the previously unheralded senior.
Aside from Wilson, center Jared Berggren scored 16 points, while Ryan Evans and Jordan Taylor each added 12.
But against Michigan State, Wisconsin met a much tougher defensive team. The Badgers shot just 34.7 percent from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range, while Evans and Taylor combined to score 37 of UW’s 52 points.
The game began with a fine start for the Badgers, who opened up a 20-9 lead with 10:21 left in the first half. However, by halftime the Spartans took a 35-25 lead. The closest Wisconsin came in the second half was within six (46-40) at the 12:18 mark. Overall, the lack of any sustained scoring from the Badgers ultimately sent them home early from Indianapolis.
Defense: 4 out of 5
Against both Michigan State and Indiana, Wisconsin held its conference tourney opponents below their scoring averages. The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten in scoring with 77.3 points per game, while the Spartans are fourth at 72.1.
Team defense was never really UW’s problem in Indianapolis, though MSU did greatly expose the Badgers. Particularly, Michigan State’s frontcourt trio of forward and Big Ten Player of the Year Draymond Green, center Adreian Payne and center Derrick Nix found plenty to work with inside.
Green began the game poorly, scoring just two points while turning the ball over four times in the first half. He finished with 14 points and 16 rebounds, however, in a much improved second half where Michigan State withstood a 13-0 run by Wisconsin.
Nix finished with nine points and five rebounds, with all of his scoring coming in the first half. Payne, meanwhile, scored six points, all in the second half.
Comparatively, Berggren seemed most to blame for allowing MSU’s frontcourt to dominate as they did. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound junior struggled defensively on both Nix and Payne, while also grabbing just two rebounds. Evans did a fair job against Green, despite giving up 20 pounds to MSU’s star in that matchup.
Bench: 4 out of 5
If Wisconsin learned anything in the Big Ten Tournament, it’s that outside of Wilson, very little should be expected from the bench.
That statement is more of a reflection of head coach Bo Ryan’s short rotation than anything, as Wilson was the only bench player to score against Indiana. Ben Brust played seven minutes and Frank Kaminsky played three, though they were a combined 0-for-3 from the field.
Against Michigan State, Wilson played another 32 minutes – the same amount as the Indiana game – but scored only six points. Brust took one shot, which he missed, in three minutes on the floor, while Kaminsky added just one 3-pointer.
Player of the week: Rob Wilson
Wisconsin’s two-game trip to Indiana was full of one-game performances – Wilson, Taylor and Berggren all appeared stronger in one matchup than the other. But for Wilson’s sheer brilliance against Indiana, he earns this week’s player of the week honors.
The boost Wilson provided the Badgers has been detailed frequently, though one understated factor comes in the fact that Wisconsin hadn’t won a Big Ten Tournament game since it won the whole event in 2008. Had the Badgers entered the NCAA Tournament continuing that streak, the dreaded “they can’t win a big game” talk might have continued.
With the East Regional being arguably the tournament’s toughest bracket, UW already faces plenty of challenges that could derail its hopes of building a run. Wilson’s emergence – nothing new, either, considering the play he’s set forth since consistently earning double-digit minutes since the Feb. 16 game at Michigan State – gives Wisconsin a great all-around option off the bench. Against the tough teams they’re bound to face this month, the Badgers will benefit greatly from Wilson’s improved play.
