Wisconsin doesn’t lose back-to-back games at the Kohl Center - not often, anyway. In fact, it hasn’t happened in nearly three full seasons. But that’s exactly what the Badgers are trying to avoid when they welcome Minnesota to Madison for a Big Ten clash on Wednesday night.
The Badgers (14-6, 6-3 Big Ten) are coming off a tough one - a 73-71 loss to Southern California on Sunday that snapped a five-game win streak and marked just their second home loss of the season. The only other team to beat them in Madison this year?
Then-No. 5 Purdue.
Wisconsin had control for much of the game, building a 12-point lead in the second half before things unraveled. Nick Boyd poured in 29 points, but his twisting drive in the closing seconds didn’t fall, and with it went the Badgers’ shot at a comeback win.
“I just feel like we took our foot off the gas,” Boyd said after the game. “We had that lead … toughness plays, rebounds, offensive rebounds - and then maybe got a little bit comfortable.”
That comfort cost them. During their five-game win streak, Wisconsin topped the 90-point mark three times. On Sunday, they managed just 71 - their lowest scoring output at home this season.
Head coach Greg Gard isn’t panicking.
“You don’t get discouraged,” Gard said. “You have to make sure you keep taking the right shots and keep shooting, and good things will continue to happen.”
Gard acknowledged the locker room was quiet after the loss - a rare scene for this group - but remained confident. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a somber locker room,” he said. “So, we’ll be OK.”
While Wisconsin looks to avoid dropping two straight at home for the first time since early February 2023, Minnesota (10-10, 3-6 Big Ten) arrives with its own set of challenges.
The Golden Gophers are riding a five-game losing streak, including a 76-57 home loss to then-No. 7 Nebraska on Saturday. Minnesota actually led that game 36-30 at halftime, but Pryce Sandfort took over in the second half, scoring 20 of his game-high 22 points to power the Cornhuskers’ comeback.
Minnesota’s offense sputtered after the break. The Gophers went 0-for-11 from beyond the arc in the second half and finished just 9-for-31 from deep overall.
“I told the guys after the game, I thought for the first time kind of down the stretch, they kind of looked like they lost their spirit,” Minnesota coach Niko Medved said. “I thought Nebraska really kind of broke us here (Saturday), and that hasn’t happened to this team in a long time.”
Despite the recent skid, the Gophers have firepower. Cade Tyson leads the team with 20.1 points per game, followed by Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds), Langston Reynolds (10.6 ppg), and Isaac Asuma (10.1 ppg). All four scored in double figures when these teams met earlier this month in Minneapolis.
That Jan. 13 matchup was a thriller. Minnesota built an 11-point second-half lead, and Tyson hit a clutch three to tie the game in the final seconds. But Wisconsin’s John Blackwell had the final word, drilling a buzzer-beating triple to seal a 78-75 win.
Blackwell was electric that night, finishing with a game-high 27 points. Braeden Carrington, a senior who began his college career at Minnesota, added a career-high 21 points - all from beyond the arc - going 7-for-10 from deep.
So here we are again. Wisconsin trying to protect its home floor and bounce back.
Minnesota trying to stop the bleeding and rediscover its identity. The stakes are high, the history is fresh, and if the first meeting was any indication, we’re in for another Big Ten battle worth watching.