The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team has four games left this season, and they are one of the four contenders for the Big Ten Conference regular season title. Tied for third place with Maryland, there is still a chance for the Badgers to raise the regular season trophy, but that means they need to win every game.
Michigan State stands at the top of the conference standings, with Michigan one game behind in second place. This past week, Michigan State took the top spot after they beat rivals Michigan on Friday. This result did not lend itself in Wisconsin’s favor.
Then, Oregon beat Wisconsin on Saturday in overtime, which did not help Wisconsin’s chances of winning the title. Maryland also defeated USC, clawing their way back into the race.
Where does this leave the Badgers?
The Badgers have had a fantastic end to their season despite the loss to Oregon. From leading the NCAA in free throws to several players breaking scoring records, Wisconsin has become an incredibly well-rounded team looking to make a good run in March Madness. Not to mention head coach Greg Gard is on the Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watchlist.
But before bracketologists brainstorm what seed Wisconsin will fall at, the Badgers must finish the regular season and the Big Ten Tournament strong. The Badgers are currently two games behind first place with four games left. While there is still a chance, Wisconsin has to win out.
Their next game is at home against Washington on Tuesday. Then they travel to Michigan State on March 2 and Minneapolis on March 5. Wisconsin will finish the regular season at home against Penn State on March 8.
The Badgers need help from the Spartans, who they hope will lose a couple before their showdown next weekend. Wisconsin also needs to take care of business on the road. They must hope the Wolverines drop a couple to switch from the second and third spot with the Badgers.
For the Big Ten Tournament, Wisconsin is all set to receive a first-round bye and will most likely be one of the top four seeds to surpass the second round. The Badgers must create some more momentum at the end of the season to hypothetically win the tournament in Indianapolis.
There is a unique challenge in winning a conference tournament because everything happens so fast. Paul Biancardi, former assistant coach at Boston College and Ohio State, described some universal keys that help teams succeed.
“Staying healthy, being the hot team, shooting well, playing strong defense, winning the rebounding battle, limiting your turnover and staying out of foul trouble among them,” Biancardi said.
These are just the simple facts, but they are easier said than done.
Wisconsin benefits from having a deep bench which is beneficial in stretches with several games. All players need to be mentally and physically competitive, putting everything on the line for the team.
While Wisconsin relies heavily on players such as John Tonje, Steven Crowl and John Blackwell, several bench players have stepped up in pivotal games to complete a win this season. In their win against Purdue, Jack Janicki and Carter Gilmore had key plays to help secure a necessary victory.
Despite their most recent Oregon loss, Wisconsin still has a great path in front of them for the NCAA Tournament. They are sitting at No. 13 in the NET rankings and No. 9 in KenPom rankings. They are projected as a No. 2 seed on USA Today and ESPN, placing them to play in Milwaukee. So essentially, home-court advantage.
So while they still need some luck for other teams, Wisconsin still has a great path in front of them as they look to climb the rankings in the next four games. They sit at third in the Big Ten and are a projected No. 2 seed.
All I can say is, On Wisconsin!
