Wisconsin's Road Woes Raise Concerns Ahead of NCAA Tournament
The Wisconsin Badgers are facing some turbulence as they approach the NCAA Tournament, with recent performances raising eyebrows about their consistency. Despite being a lock for a tournament bid, their recent losses have sparked some concern.
EUGENE, OR - Coach Greg Gard didn't shy away from the harsh reality his Badgers are facing after a lackluster performance against Oregon. Following an 85-71 defeat, Gard's message was clear: "When you keep playing like that, you won’t play long."
This loss to the Ducks, a team far from tournament contention, has highlighted some troubling signs for Wisconsin, a team with high hopes for March Madness success. Their last two road games ended in double-digit losses to unranked opponents, signaling a pattern that can't be ignored.
Against Ohio State, Wisconsin fell into an early double-digit hole, a recurring issue in their Big Ten matchups. Their defense struggled to make stops, leaving them little chance to recover.
The Oregon game told a similar story, with the Badgers' offense looking disjointed. Packed paint defense from Oregon stifled Wisconsin's interior game, and poor ball movement limited their three-point opportunities.
This was their second loss of the season when leading at halftime, the first being against USC.
A glaring issue in these losses has been defensive inconsistency. Oregon, ranked 119th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, dominated Wisconsin’s defense in the second half, shooting a staggering 70.8%. The Badgers themselves rank 63rd in adjusted defensive efficiency, a concerning stat given that most Sweet 16 teams from last year ranked in the top 50.
However, Wisconsin has shown resilience before. After a loss to Purdue, they bounced back with five straight wins, including a victory over then-No.
1 Michigan. They also rebounded from a controversial loss to Indiana by defeating then-No.
7 Illinois and then-No. 10 Michigan State.
Guard Nick Boyd sees these challenges as character-building moments. "Adversity just keeps building character," he noted. "It's a reality check these last couple games on the road."
Next up, Wisconsin faces Washington on Feb. 28. While the Huskies have struggled in Big Ten play, the Badgers can't afford to underestimate them, especially after the Ducks' upset.
Despite their recent struggles, Wisconsin's victories over top-10 teams have solidified their tournament spot. They sit at No. 34 in the NCAA’s NET rankings with five Quad 1 wins. Yet, Gard's warning about their potential tournament longevity resonates, as the Badgers haven't reached the Sweet 16 since 2017 and have only one March Madness win in the past three seasons.
Guard John Blackwell expressed the team's hunger for more success. "I only won one NCAA Tournament game," he said. "We want to put more under our belt."
With the tournament looming, Wisconsin has work to do before any dreams of advancing can become reality. As Blackwell confidently stated, "I think we’ll be better. I know we’ll be better."