The Wisconsin Badgers are unranked, but they have been one of the most talked about teams of late, especially following their incredible come-from-behind 92-90 win on the road over the No. 10 Illini Fighting Illini on Tuesday.
Trailing the Fighting Illini by 12 points in the second half, Wisconsin basketball worked its way back into the contest to force overtime, where the Badgers got the job done to complete the comeback.
Nick Boyd and John Blackwell teamed up to carry most of the load in that contest for Wisconsin, as they scored 25 and 24 points, respectively. They also combined for nine of the Badgers’ 11 points in overtime.
Michigan State’s Izzo gives Wisconsin Badgers duo its flowers
The pair has everyone’s attention, including Tom Izzo, whose No. 10 Michigan State Spartans will face the Badgers this Friday night.
“They’ve got maybe the best backcourt duo in Boyd and Blackwell – not only in the league, but I think one of the better ones in the country,” Izzo said this week (h/t Nick Osen of 247 Sports).
Certainly, Boyd and Blackwell are marked men for the Spartans’ defense, which is one of the best in the nation.
Through Thursday, Michigan State is fourth nationally with a 90.9 adjusted defensive rating. The Spartans play a deliberate pace — just 268th in Division I with an adjusted tempo of 65.8 — so they should be able to present a tough challenge for Boyd, Blackwell and the rest of the Badgers, who have a 17-7 overall record and 9-4 in conference play.
On the season, Boyd leads the Badgers with 20.2 points per game, while Blackwell is second on the team with 18.7 per outing.
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