Big Ten Basketball: Michigan State ends Wisconsin’s 19 year run in the NCAA Tournament

The first quarterfinal game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament went down Friday afternoon between Michigan State and Wisconsin as the Spartans topped the Badgers for a 63-60 victory.

It was just less than a week ago when Wisconsin went toe-to-toe with Michigan State. The Badgers felt like they should’ve won that game. They wanted this rematch so bad. Plus winning the Big Ten Basketball Tournament was going to be the only way they could get into the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan State on the other hand is a dead lock. They want to win this thing to establish their dominance. The Spartans have already won the regular season outright and adding Tournament champions would be even better. Plus, winning both Big Ten basketball titles would almost guarantee themselves a No. 1 seed. At least Miles Bridges thinks so.

Wisconsin played just as tough as they did during the regular season finale. They certainly showed the all or nothing mentality knowing that any game right now could be their last.

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Early on, Michigan State went to work down low. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Nick Ward can enforce their size so well in the paint. The Badgers didn’t double Jackson and he was able to score with ease. The next trip, Wisconsin doubled Ward and he still was able to put the ball in the basket.

Michigan State has the ability to go on runs because of their length and size. Bridges and Cassius Winston can score in bunches at times, but their rim protectors go un noticed.

Ethan Happ then showed everyone why he was voted First Team All-Big Ten. He’s so dangerous around the basket. Usually dribbling with double teams can be risky, but Happ has perfected it. His foot work is so underrated and 22 points on 10 for 15 shooting translates what kind of worker he is.

Wisconsin responded to every punch Michigan State threw at them. Early on the Badgers were down 7-10. They were then able to go on an 11-4 run to take a four-point lead midway through the second half.

Khalil Iverson was a the reason that Wisconsin went on their big time run. He tied the game in dramatic fashion from a huge alley-oop reversal from Brad Davison.

Michigan State was then able to respond with a run of their own to close out the half. Cassius Winston has just been too much for opponents in the past month or so of play. We knew he had a jump shot in his bag of tricks, but it’s really been on display lately. The Spartans closed out on a 12-8 run featuring the Miles Bridges and Cassius Winston show. Michigan State led 32-28 at the break.

Wisconsin never let up in the second half. The Badgers could’ve folded after Winston’s three-pointer to close out the first half. They didn’t and Wisconsin actually got the lead back when freshman Nate Reuvers hit a jumper.

One thing about that kid. He was almost going to red shirt at the beginning of the season, but due to injuries, Reuvers has played meaningful minutes after 10 games in. He flashes signs of what he’s capable of doing just like hitting that jumper with 15:11 to play.

Michigan State though wouldn’t give in to the hungry Badgers. They imposed their will on the offensive glass throughout the whole second half. They ended the game with 16 as opposed to the Badgers 10. Not only did they pull down board after board, the Spartans capitalized.

One of these days we were going to see Michigan State win a game because of Miles Bridges. This was the case Friday afternoon. He still committed four turnovers which is probably four too many for what he and Tom Izzo want, but Bridges was a force late in the game.

Aleem Ford was the Badger basketball player that just wouldn’t let Michigan State rest comfortably. Here’s another Wisconsin Badger who has shown signs of being great at what he does. He shot over 40% from downtown this season. The red shirt freshman knocked down three timely triples in the quarterfinal game against Michigan State.

No bigger moment happened in the game than the one with under two minutes to play. Iverson dunked another basketball at 2:54 to bring the Badgers within two. Matt McQuaid then stepped up like a veteran would and buried a corner three to put Michigan State up five with 1:32 to go.

Brad Davison made a lay up with 30 seconds left which was coupled by missed free throws on the Michigan State end.

That all set up a Badgers possession with 16 seconds and down by three. Head coach of Wisconsin, Greg Gard, called a timeout to set up a play.

The Badgers were never able to get a shot off. Three Badgers including Davison and Happ touched the ball at the top of the key, but there was never a clear window to hit anything. Michigan State played shutdown defense and displayed why they’re one of the best in the country.

Michigan State outlasts the Badgers in the Big Ten Basketball Tournament quarterfinals so what’s next for both teams?

Wisconsin is going to have their 19 straight Tournament appearance streak snapped. It has to be talked about one more time. The guys on the post game show touched on it for a few minutes about what Wisconsin did for almost two decades.

The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team have been a mainstay in the NCAA Tournament for a very long time. No matter how down a season may have seemed, the Badgers still got to the dance. Things are going to be a little different this time around. It’s going to certainly feel weird around the fan base.

Next: 2018 Big Ten Conference Tournament preview

As for Michigan State, their run to dominance continues. They won the regular season title and now they want the Tournament crown. A No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is still in the realm of possibility. The Spartans will have a whole week to find out which line they’re on, but by taking care of business the next two days, they should be guaranteed either a one or two.