Last Tuesday, the unthinkable happened when Bo Ryan's Badgers dropped a home contest to an unranked Big Ten squad, something which has never happened before under his watch. But after another loss by Michigan State, Wisconsin has an opportunity to stay in the Big Ten race with a home game against a squad in the lower-half of the Big Ten —Indiana.
Wisconsin had a chance to elevate themselves to the top of the conference last Tuesday, but a shocking home loss to Illinois handed the Badgers their fourth conference loss of the season. They now sit behind four three-loss squads in the Big Ten.
One reason the No. 13 Badgers (8-4 Big Ten, 18-6 overall) still have a chance to take the regular season conference championship is their favorable upcoming schedule, which begins Saturday against the Hoosiers (3-8, 9-14).
Indiana is still under a new regime with second-year head coach Tom Crean. During Crean's first season, Indiana won only one Big Ten contest all season. This year's campaign appeared more promising after a 3-3 start in conference play, but a five-game losing streak for the Hoosiers put the team near the basement of the Big Ten, thus Saturday represents a golden opportunity for the Badgers to grab a conference victory.
Another reason Wisconsin can be optimistic entering Saturday's game is the fact that the Badgers have never posted a two-game losing streak this season, winning each game they have played following a loss. Freshman forward Mike Bruesewitz attributes that to the character of this season's team.
""[It's because of] the toughness of the guys around the locker room,"" Bruesewitz said. ""In our locker rooms it's guys [that say] what we need to do to win.""
Bruesewitz admitted the team was down after Tuesday's defeat, but likes the way the team has prepared for Indiana this week.
""When you lose, usually the next day practice is pretty good, pretty competitive, people got after it,"" he said.
Including this weekend's game, Wisconsin faces only one team with a winning record (Illinois) during its final six games, providing hope that the Badgers can run the table to finish out the year strong.
""I think whoever wins the Big Ten will have 4 to 5 losses so we're right there,"" freshman forward Ryan Evans said. ""If we can just win out, I think we're going to clinch the title.""
The Hoosiers may still be suffering from the fallout of former coach Kelvin Sampson, but have worked hard under Crean, which is reflected in the team's rebounding production this season. Indiana's 36.1 rebounds per game rank third in the conference, meaning Wisconsin must defend the glass on defense to prevent extra shots.
""They're the second-best offensive rebounding team in the Big Ten,"" Bruesewitz said. ""Second opportunities just kind of kill teams.""
Leading the way on the boards for Indiana is freshman forward Christian Watford, grabbing 5.9 boards per game.
In scoring, freshman guard Maurice Creek leads the team with 16.4 points per game, but has been inactive with an injury for the last month and will not play against Wisconsin. Sophomore guard Verdell Jones is next on the team, scoring 14.9 points per game.
The game tips off at 1 p.m. Saturday and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
