March Madness: Wisconsin shocks defending National Champs

Despite battling foul trouble for the majority of the game, Wisconsin pulled off a massive upset over the defending National Champs in March Madness’ second round.

The Villanova Wildcats were one of the most consistent and composed teams in the nation during the 2016-17 season. They lost only three games, won dual Big East crowns and had the best shot to repeat as National Champions since the 2006-07 Florida Gators did so with Joakim Noah and Al Horford.

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It just wasn’t meant to be, though.

The eight-seeded Wisconsin Badgers stunned the one-seeded Villanova Wildcats, 65-62, in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament in Buffalo on Saturday afternoon. Nigel Hayes led the way for the Badgers with 19 points while Bronson Koenig (17 points), Ethan Happ (12 points) and Vitto Brown (10 points) also scored in double figures.

Despite dealing with foul trouble to Koenig and Happ for the majority of the game, Wisconsin used their size and strength inside to out-play the Wildcats. They out-rebounded ‘Nova by four, scored 10 more points in the paint and recorded 13-second chance points. The go-ahead reverse layup by Hayes with 14 seconds remaining was the topping on the cake.

Villanova’s lack of size has been an issue all season but it was very evident against the Badgers, who, on paper, was a poor match-up for the Wildcats coming into the game.

On top of their ability to score inside, Koenig was terrific for the second straight game. He hit eight threes in the Badgers’ first-round victory over Virginia Tech and drilled a clutch three-pointer to put Wisconsin up 62-59 with 2:01 left. The senior shot 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from the three-point line despite only playing 27 minutes and picking up his fourth foul with 13:41 remaining.

As for Villanova, this was the second straight game that the Wildcats got off to a slow start. Against Mount St Mary’s in the opening round, they led by just one point at the half and lacked the energy and intensity of a National Champion.

With Kris Jenkins going through a rough stretch and Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo receiving very little help, the Wildcats could not match the balance and depth that the Badgers possessed. Add in the fact that they shot just 5-of-16 from beyond the arc and missed six free throws, and it’s easy to see why the Wildcats won’t be heading to Madison Square Garden next week.

But this also shouldn’t discredit what the Wildcats have done all year long. Sure, they underachieved in the tournament and didn’t advance out of the Round of 32 for the fourth time in five seasons, but they have dominated the Big East since realignment and went on a magical run in the 2016 tourney. The ‘Cats were also given a rough draw by the committee as this could’ve been a potential Sweet 16 or Elite Eight match-up if the seeding was more accurate.

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As far as Wisconsin, their experience makes the dream of reaching another Final Four a realistic proposition. With a clear draw (other than potentially Duke), the Badgers could be on their way to another long tournament run.