Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers advance with win over Maryland
Wisconsin basketball defeated Maryland, 59-54, in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament and will play Michigan State in the quarterfinals.
The Wisconsin Badgers and Maryland Terrapins kicked off the second round on the afternoon of March 1. Entering the game, the Terrapins had been hanging by a string to NCAA Tournament hopes. Wisconsin, on the other hand, knew the only way they would go dancing is if they win the Big Ten Tournament.
The last time these two teams played was on Feb. 4. This was the moment that was widely regarded as Wisconsin guard Brevin Pritzl’s lowest moment of his collegiate career. He was benched in the second half and couldn’t make a shot. Since then, though, he’s been on a tear.
Pritzl hit some key shots throughout the game on Thursday afternoon. He dropped 10 points, shot two from behind-the-arc and made the biggest shot the whole game. Pritzl hit a jumper just inside the arc with a minute to go to put the Badgers ahead. The shot clock was about to expire, Brad Davison found a moving Pritzl and he buried it to put Wisconsin ahead by two.
The red shirt sophomore guard is only six-foot-three, but he’s been playing bigger down the stretch. Pritzl has been flashing underneath a lot lately and adding more dimensions to his game. It’s starting to show as he recorded nine boards last game against Michigan State and he grabbed six against the Terrapins.
The star for Maryland in the breath-taking second half was Kevin Huerter. He showed signs of being able to find mismatches in the first half. Huerter dropped six points. He then went off for 14 in the second half. The sophomore guard only knocked down one triple and was three for four from the line. He was able to keep Maryland in it the entire time by finding other ways to score.
Anthony Cowan and Bruno Fernando still shined as they have all season for the Terrapins. When their All-Big Ten player Justin Jackson went down 11 games in, those two have been the guys. Cowan scored 12 in the first half, but only four in the second. Fernando scored six in both halves while almost recording a double-double with nine boards.
Once the Terrapins caught up to the Badgers and tied it at 47 with 4:21 left, Ethan Happ responded with two clutch free throws. It got knotted back up again at 49, but Aleem Ford knocked down a pair of his own. Brad Davison and Huerter traded baskets to ultimately put the score at 53 all. The next shot came from Pritzl which would go on to be the game-winner.
Hitting free throws for the Badgers has been an adventure this season. Happ shoots 53% for the season and Ford doesn’t even attempt one per game. Both guys knocked down clutch shots from the line late in the game.
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Obviously it can’t go without mentioning how big Khalil Iverson’s steal was. Davison hit two free throws with 8 seconds left, but it was still a one possession game. Maryland goes to inbound it and Iverson makes a great play on the ball. He didn’t foul, ran it down the court and the Terrapins decided with .8 seconds to foul. Iverson iced the game away to advance the Badgers.
The Terrapins were in striking distance the whole game. Maryland seemed to cough up the ball every time there was an oppurtinity. They lost the turnover battle 12-7 including five costly ones in the first half. Two were by the freshman Fernando. Wisconsin didn’t always capitalize, but you have to take advantage when the Badgers go on scoring droughts.
Lastly, Wisconsin won the fouling comparison. The Terrapins committed 21 as opposed to only 14 for the Badgers. In fact, Wisconsin entered the double bonus at the 4:34 mark. The Badgers surprisingly took advantage by shooting 20-24 (83%) from the line.
What is next for both teams after Wisconsin defeated Maryland in the Second Round of the Big Ten Tournament?
Maryland will have to go home and wait 10 days until they know what’s next. It’s more than likely going to be a trip to the NIT. I can’t see the Terrapins getting in anymore. If they would’ve won this game, things would’ve looked a little better. They would still be sweating on Selection Sunday, but it wouldn’t be as done of a deal as their fate is now.
The Terrapins are ranked north of 60 in the RPI coming into the game. It’s only going to get worse. Their KenPom is a little better at 48, but there’s still over a week left of basketball for a lot of bubble teams. Plus, even Nebraska and Penn State, bubble teams in the Big Ten, have chance at winning a couple more which will leap them over Maryland.
Wisconsin on the other hand is headed for the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. For a while, hopes of getting out of the first round was bleak for this team.
A few weeks ago,, they met up with a struggling Purdue team and knocked them off during an emotional night. Since then, it’s been a different Badger team. Different in terms of what they have looked like this season. Same old Wisconsin basketball that everyone is used to seeing though.
Now they have a rematch with Michigan State. It was ugly in their first meeting as every game was back then for Wisconsin. On Sunday during the regular season finale, the Badgers went toe-to-toe with the No.1 team in the Big Ten and one of the biggest threats to making a final four run.
Wisconsin is hungry. They have a 19-year NCAA Tournament streak on the line and they know the only way they’re extending that is if they win this thing.
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Michigan State on the other hand is as hot as any team in the country. Their point guard Cassius Winston is playing so well, their lottery pick Miles Bridges is performing the way he should and the rest are contributing as expected.
It’s going to be another old-fashioned Big Ten battle. What we saw last Sunday was just the beginning of what is going to be a great game Friday afternoon. A month ago, everyone would’ve disagree, but these Badgers are playing inspired and they don’t want their season to end just yet.