Michigan’s quest for a second consecutive Big Ten Tournament title will have to go through the only Big Ten team that beat it this season: Wisconsin (Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS). The Badgers knocked off Washington and Illinois on back-to-back days to set up a rematch with the Wolverines in Chicago.
It’s a revenge game for Michigan, but it’s also a Big Ten Tournament revenge game for Wisconsin, which fell short in this matchup in last year’s title game.
Wisconsin enters Saturday’s tilt ranked 24th per KenPom, with the No. 8 adjusted offensive efficiency in the country. The Badgers have gained most of their notoriety from their signature head-to-head wins: Michigan, Purdue, Illinois (twice), and Michigan State.
Wisconsin’s already pulled off a pair of wins in Chicago, and will be playing their third game in three days, but they are as dangerous as just about any team in the country — ranked 10th nationally (3rd in offense) since January 6th with a 15-4 record.
The Badgers
Wisconsin’s offensive revolution under Greg Gard has continued this year. The program that used to be about a slow-paced flex offense is now about an uptempo continuity ball screen offense. It’s a system that has printed All-Big Ten players over the last few seasons, and a scheme that is simple but difficult to defend.
Michigan knows how difficult it is to stop, as it allowed a season-worst 1.26 points per possession in the first meeting.
The Badgers are ranked 4th nationally in points per game created out of ball screens. They have two of the best ball-screen creators and scorers in the conference and surround them with shooters.
Wisconsin takes 52.3% of its shots from 3-point range (6th nationally) and connects at a 35.9% clip. The 3-point volume is relentless and hard to defend.
The Badgers took 62% of shots from three against Illinois, and they trust that eventually they’ll fall. When they do, Wisconsin is hard to beat. The Badgers are 21-2 when they shoot 33.3% or better from three, compared to 3-10 when they shoot under that mark.
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