The No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers will take on the Indiana Hoosiers in a Big Ten basketball tournament quarterfinal match-up on Friday.
TV Schedule: Friday, March 10, 6:30 P.M. ET, ESPN
Arena: Verizon Center, Washington D.C.
Prediction: Wisconsin 71, Indiana 64
The Wisconsin Badgers have dominated the Indiana Hoosiers for the better part of the last decade. However, Wisconsin has been struggling lately. While they are the two seed in the Big Ten Tournament the Badgers have shown weaknesses throughout the season.
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The two teams played twice this year, with Wisconsin winning by single digits both times. Wisconsin has gone 2-5 in their last seven games but seem to be on track following a 17-point victory over Minnesota. The win over the rival Gophers may have kicked the Badgers back into gear.
The Hoosiers entered the conference tournament as the 10 seed but have shown signs of greatness this year. They began the season with wins over top five teams in North Carolina and Kansas but struggled when conference play began.
They blew out the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten second round and avenged their loss from earlier in the season. The Hoosiers certainly have the playmakers to compete with the Badgers. The game should be slow-paced and consist of long possessions, but it still should be a competitive game.
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The seniors for Wisconsin are well decorated and need to kick it into gear if they want to recreate some of the magic they’ve experienced in the past. Wisconsin has great depth and can score at will with almost anyone on the roster. Indiana can keep its postseason hopes alive with a run in the Big Ten Tournament starting with a win over Wisconsin.