The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team improved to 21-5 last night after completing the revenge 21-point win over the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Illinois previously hosted Wisconsin on December 10th, claiming an 86-80 win over the Badgers in what was a tight contest. Star guard John Tonje had arguably his worst shooting performance in the first clash, but still managed to drop 14 points in the loss. The second game, however, was a different story for the Wisconsin Badgers and Tonje as the guard 31 points and nailed ten free-throws as well.
Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Gets Revenge, Blows Out Visiting Illinois Fighting Illini Squad
After a tough loss in early December to a then-ranked rival Illinois squad, many Wisconsin fans began to spiral as the team lost three games in a row. However, since the difficult loss the Badgers have dropped just two games to UCLA and Maryland while notching a 10-point victory over the #7 Purdue Boilermakers.
Likewise, the Fighting Illini have dropped seven games since the first encounter with the Wisconsin Badgers with two losses to #11 Michigan State and another against #1 Tennessee.
The Wisconsin Badgers fended off the Illinois Fighting Illini at home largely behind the savvy play of both Tonje and center Steven Crowl. Tonje had four steals to add to his 31-point performance, while Crowl went 7-of-10 shooting from the field and perfect from beyond the arc. The towering big man added seven rebounds, two steals, and five assists as his playmaking was once again highlighted.
Wisconsin Badgers Praised For Veteran Presence Following Big Win Over Talented Rival
Following the big win for the Badgers, Illinois coach Brad Underwood spoke to the media about the loss and the Wisconsin team. Underwood had plenty of praise for Wisconsin after watching his defense struggle to stop the Badgers offense.
Underwood stated, “They’re confident. They’re playing great. They’ve got great role identification.” The Illinois Fighting Illini coach also notably added, “They’re so old. When you have one of the oldest team in the country, you have no idea how valuable that is.”
Brad Underwood on #Badgers:
“They’re confident. They’re playing great. They’ve got great role identification. They’re so old. When you have one of the oldest teams in the country, you have no idea how valuable that is. Now you can just joystick guys in the way you coach. They’re…— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) February 19, 2025
Underwood highlighted the value of age within the Wisconsin program due to what he feels is an ability to “joystick” players on the court. With age comes experience, and that is certainly something the Wisconsin Badgers do not lack on the roster this season. Between the additions in the transfer portal and the longtime Wisconsin veterans, the Badgers have roughly an average team age of 20.5-years.
In terms of the value age has brought to the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team, the proof is in the product on the court.
Tonje is an intelligent guard who always manages to find the right spot to be in, largely due to the time he has spent around the collegiate game. Kamari McGee is another energetic athlete who has made clear skill jumps between each of his seasons with the Badgers. It is hard to mention age and Wisconsin without speaking about centerpieces Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl who have helped develop a close bond throughout the team both on and off of the court.
The unsung heroes of the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team have, however, been some of the other returning players. Wisconsin has kept a tight grip on Jack Janicki, Nolan Winter, John Blackwell, and Carter Gilmore since they have arrived in Madison.
While Underwood did not key-in on the returning players directly, the ability to keep a core of non-first year players on the roster has helped Wisconsin tremendously. Even the youngest players within the Wisconsin rotation (Blackwell, Winter, Janicki) still have an entire season under their belts.
The Wisconsin Badgers will have to put the veteran presence on the roster to the test moving forward with two particularly interesting games ahead. The Badgers will host a talented Oregon Ducks team before later facing off against a ranked Michigan State Spartans squad that appears to be vulnerable at the moment.
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