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Wisconsin Basketball: 2018-19 keys for the Badgers to upset Michigan

By Austin Walther

MADISON, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 22: D'Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers shoots over Ivy Smith Jr. #1 of the Grambling State Tigers during the first half at Kohl Center on December 22, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 22: D'Mitrik Trice #0 of the Wisconsin Badgers shoots over Ivy Smith Jr. #1 of the Grambling State Tigers during the first half at Kohl Center on December 22, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 12: The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders perform during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament Championship game between the Badgers and Michigan Wolverines at Verizon Center on March 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 12: The Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders perform during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament Championship game between the Badgers and Michigan Wolverines at Verizon Center on March 12, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Wisconsin Basketball has lost three out of its last four Big Ten games since resuming conference play and will host the number two team in the Country, Michigan. What do the Badgers need to do to pull off this major upset?

Wisconsin Basketball sure has had the crazy season. First the Badgers start out unranked and barely in the Tournament field. After a road and a pair of neutral site games, they found themselves in the top-15. Some bracketologists had them as high as a three seed. They lose their next two road games in Marquette and Western Kentucky.

Wisconsin resumed conference play and lost three out of four. They’re unranked, showing signs of what happened last season and host the number two team in the country. Usually one would think going back home is nice, but the Badgers have two Big Ten losses in Madison. I had them plummet down to number eight in the Big Ten Power Rankings. Mainly because they couldn’t beat Minnesota, Purdue or Maryland. If they had won at least one, they’d be back in the top-five.

There were clear reasons why Wisconsin lost those three games. The Badgers had no answer for a long guard in Amir Coffey from Minnesota. Then Minnesota got some great production from their bench while Wisconsin did not. The Badgers actually won the front court battle in my mind. Both of the Gophers starting front court players got into some serious foul trouble, but Wisconsin couldn’t hit at the charity stripe.

The Badgers battled with Purdue all night long. It honestly seemed like a home game for Purdue because Wisconsin just couldn’t find a way to pull ahead. It also didn’t help that Carsen Edwards was coming off a horrible game against Michigan State so he responded big.

The game against Maryland was what made everyone have flashbacks to last season. The Badgers scored 15 points in the first half. 15 points in 20 minutes of action. The Badgers went off for 45 in the second half, but that still wasn’t enough because they got beat by another guard in Anthony Cowan who can hit in crunch time.

The way Wisconsin has played since resuming Big Ten play, there’s no way the Badgers have a chance against Michigan. But if the team from the Bahamas and the one that went to Iowa at the end of November shows up, it could easily be a trap game. I mean the Wolverines are due to lose and the Badgers need a quality home win. Something they haven’t had since the end of November when they took down North Carolina State. So what do the Badgers need to do to pull the gigantic upset?

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