The University of Wisconsin Men’s basketball team is built for March. After blowing past Washington (16-17, 7-13 Big Ten) in its first game on Thursday and winning an OT thriller against No. 9 Illinois (24-8, 15-5) on Friday, No. 23 Wisconsin (24-10, 14-6) looked unstoppable heading into Saturday’s contest against No. 3 Michigan.
Despite entering the game as a 12.5-point underdog, it was a game of runs throughout. Both teams traded momentum in the first half, including an eight-point burst from the Badgers and a 10-2 run from the Wolverines (31-2, 19-1) to send the game into halftime tied at 28.
The second half was where emotions broke loose.
Michigan opened a 14-3 run to go up 42-31, maintaining a double-digit lead until the final quarter of the game, when the Badgers finally woke up.
Wisconsin responded with a 23-4 run to go up 62-58, including all of sophomore forward Austin Rapp’s 18 points, 15 of them coming on five-straight 3-pointers.
The absence of junior forward Nolan Winter for a third consecutive game was felt, though. The Badgers would not be able to overcome the paint dominance that came from Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Aday Mara, as he was able to force two layups down the lane to tie it back up at 62 and another three from Elliot Cadeau put the pressure on Wisconsin.
The game would come down to the wire, with All-Big Ten second-team guard Nick Boyd drilling a three to tie it at 65 with 29 seconds left.
But in heartbreaking fashion, the newly-appointed Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg drilled a go-ahead three with 0.4 seconds remaining to eliminate the Badgers.
A couple questions emerged that Wisconsin will need to answer before their next game on Thursday or Friday. All-Big Ten third-team guard John Blackwell became a limited factor in the second half, only attempting six shots, uncharacteristic for the team’s second scoring option.
Senior guard Braeden Carrington struggled all weekend, shooting just 4-for-19 from three in Wisconsin’s three games in Indianapolis.
Wisconsin will look to make a deep run in this year’s NCAA tournament, and it won’t be able to do so without Carrington’s bench production and Blackwell’s elite guard play.
It’s also worth noting the increased minutes for true freshman guard Hayden Jones. Jones doesn’t fill the box score, but his defensive presence is undeniable, and his contributions will be essential to a run in March.
Despite the loss, Wisconsin left Indianapolis having reinforced its national credibility. Winning twice in two days and nearly toppling the conference’s top seed (again) on a third showed the Badgers’ toughness and postseason grit.
Following Sunday’s bracket reveal, Wisconsin has officially turned the page to its NCAA Tournament First-Round matchup. The Badgers earned the No. 5 seed in the tournament’s West region and will face No. 12 High Point on Thursday in Portland, with tipoff set for 12:50 p.m.
