The 24th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers have won twice and gone through their bye week, but they’re surely still stewing over a stretch in which they lost two close games in three weeks, and they’ll look to take their frustrations out on the Iowa Hawkeyes in this Big Ten clash.
The Wisconsin Badgers are currently ranked No. 25 entering their matchup with the Illinois Fighting Illini. Wisconsin is coming off of a 35-6 beatdown of the then-No. 19 Northwestern Wildcats, while Illinois is dealing with a 39-19 loss to Nebraska in its rearview mirror.
The 19th-ranked Northwestern Wildcats are coming off a hard-fought loss to Ohio State, whom they had a shot at upsetting in the fourth quarter, and they will get thrown right back into the Big Ten fire with a trip to Camp Randall for a date with the Wisconsin Badgers.
Bret Bielema did a great job with the Wisconsin Badgers football program. Wisconsin has won a lot of games the last few years. Bielema decided to head to the SEC and Arkansas in the offseason, which left the Badgers looking for a new coach. Gary Andersen from Utah State was the guy the Badgers hired, and I believe that was a very good hire.
The #12 seed upset over the fifth seed is one of those things you can count on every year. There will almost definitely be one again this year, but could it be the Mississippi Rebels against the Wisconsin Badgers?
The Wolverines are the second highest ranked team in the conference despite finishing tied for fourth in the standings. As a result they didn’t get a bye like Wisconsin even though they were tied with them.
The top of the Big Ten is a huge battle this season. Right now the Buckeyes are sitting in a three way tie for second in the conference with Wisconsin and Michigan – a couple of games back of Indiana and Michigan State (one of whom has to lose next week).
The Badgers are always dangerous when you least expect it, especially when they are playing a team that want’s to go up tempo.
The Big Ten is loaded at the top this year, so much so that the Spartans might only be the 4th best team in the conference. They enter this tough road environment on a 5 game winning streak including beating a tough Ohio State team over the weekend.
Utah State should be feeling as about as good as could be coming into this tough road matchup. Last week, in a rare nationally televised game, they beat Utah in overtime. They hadn’t beaten the Utes in some time and will look to carry that momentum into Madison.
Ohio State and Michigan might have the most tradition in the Big Ten conference, but no one has been better in the last few years than the Wisconsin Badgers. If you were to pick a team that has been the most consistent at the top of the heap in this conference of late, you’d have to select Wisconsin. Michigan and Ohio State are gaining steam with great new coaches. Can Wisconsin stay on top?
There seems to be no real compelling storyline for the Wisconsin Badgers right now. All they have done to this point is what they are supposed to: crushing a small conference foe and playing a competitive game against Vanderbilt.
Sweet 16
#4 Wisconsin Badgers (26-9) vs #1 Syracuse Orange (33-2)
Thursday March 22
East Region – Boston, MA
7:15PM
Moneyline: No money line currently listed
Spread: 120.5
O/U: Syracuse -3.5
Wisconsin
In my mind this is a very dangerous team because they very rarely beat themselves. The Orange are no slouches but if they can win they might face off with Ohio State in the Elite Eight.
That would be fun.
With the focus on Kendall Marshall’s wrist injury many are forgetting the best point guard around might just play for the Badgers. He doesn’t have the gaudy assist number, and is forced to lead the team in scoring, but there are none in the college game better at controlling a game than Jordan Taylor.
It will be interesting to see how Wisconsin attacks that zone, especially with their bigs, who shoot the ball so well from the outside.
Syracuse
Well no Fab Melo – no problem…so far. They had one close game and one, not the only problem was they came in the reverse order with UNC Asheville giving the Orange a serious scare from #16 seed line. Against a shorthanded Kansas State squad they had a much easier time. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Over the two games no single player has stood out.
A great show of depth but usually teams have that one player that steps forward this time of year.
When you play Syracuse you know what you are going to get.
I think this might be a game where they might want to force tempo a little more and be more aggressive offensively and defensively. They have a huge advantage in terms of depth even with Melo out.
Looking forward to getting a nice look at guard Dion Waiters on the grand stage.
He has quietly become their best player.
Spread Pick: Wisconsin +3.5
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Syracuse 69 – Wisconsin 67
The Vanderbilt Commodores breathed a sigh of relief after beating Harvard in the round of 64.
Well the Wisconsin Badgers have done it again. Early in the Big Ten season it looked like their run of tournament appearances might come to a close but this team is so well coached it seems like they are never down for very long.
In the top half of the Big Ten Tournament bracket there have been no surprises thus far.
Tom Crean engineered an impressive turnaround at Indiana this year. Cody Zeller has been tremendous in his freshman season, and the Hoosiers knocked off the number one team in the country twice.
