The Wisconsin Badgers travel to Iowa City to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday. Tip time is scheduled for 11:30 AM on FOX. This is the regular season finale for the Badgers. Iowa defeated Wisconsin in Madison 77-62 on February 18. They next prepare for the Big Ten Tournament next week. Below are the keys to a big win on the road!
March Madness Momentum?
We know at the Badgers are safely in the NCAA tournament. That is without question. While the seeding remains in question, the Badgers really need momentum headed into next week and the NCAA tournament. They needed something to work and something to feel good about. Does that happen in Iowa City? Right now, that would be a tall task to ask.
However, we’ve seen the Badgers get hot at the end of the year in years past. For example, last season when they won the Big Ten title and won their last 8 games. This is almost the exact same roster. We know the Badgers are capable of it. Will we see it, though, is the question. If they want any sort of confidence headed to postseason play, it has to start against Iowa.
Breaking Bad Habits
During this up and down season, especially in the Big Ten, we’ve seen a number of bad habits Wisconsin has gotten themselves into. For example, there is the offensive lapses. In the first meeting against Iowa, the Badgers began the game 4-30 from the field. To make matters worse, they were an abysmal 1-18 from inside the three. While this only resulted in a 25-13 Iowa lead, it’s incredible the Badgers were able to get that game within three in the second half.
The Badgers have tend to “live and die by the three”. Too many times this season, we’ve seen this team try to shoot their way out of a slump by shooting the three early in the shot clock. Instead, they should have been working the ball in the paint more, resulting in higher percentage shots. Lately, teams have been daring the Badgers to shoot the three. If Wisconsin wants to hang around Sunday, they need to work the ball inside and gain momentum from the paint. This could lead to their three point shot slowly coming back.
With slow starts in a majority of their Big Ten games, we’ve seen Wisconsin trail early in games. This has never been a program built to come from behind. If the Badgers fall behind early tomorrow, they have to be able to control the deficit and take what the defense gives them.
Defending The Post
It’s never easy to defend Luka Garza. It’s why he’s the favorite to win the Wooden Award this season. In the first meeting on February 18, Garza had 30 points on 11-19 shooting and 4-6 from three. Garza does deserve credit as he hit some tough threes, but he also did just about anything he wanted to in the paint. The Badgers have to decide whether or not to take his game away completely and let his supporting cast win or stop his supporting cast and let him get his own.
Not only did Wisconsin let Garza have his way, but Iowa freshman Keegan Murray had 12 rebounds as well in the first meeting. The energy he brought on the court made a difference. The Badgers need to win the rebounding battle Sunday.
Prediction
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This has been a preview where I’ve been pretty tough on the Badgers. It’s because there hasn’t been many positives to take away from a team that has struggled over the last 6+ weeks. We have seen stretches of the Badgers playing well, but we haven’t seen it over the span of 40 minutes this season. It’s hard to see if/when we will see it. The Badgers have made it clear they are frustrated, but we haven’t seen them willing to change anything.
I don’t expect Wisconsin to beat Iowa. However, I am hoping that they can find a lineup that works for them. I want to see them feel good about something that they can take to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament and the NCAA tournament. The road hasn’t been easy lately for Wisconsin, but we expected this gauntlet to go better than it has. Momentum is everything in the postseason. As a result, I hope Wisconsin can find it Sunday.
Iowa 75 Wisconsin 64
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