Wisconsin Basketball: Keys to Badgers beating Colgate in Round of 64

Wisconsin Basketball takes on an upset-minded Colgate squad in the Round of 64. What do the Badgers need to do in order to avoid a loss?

Wisconsin Basketball is officially in the NCAA Tournament as the #3 seed in the Midwest region, as they take on the #14 seed Colgate in the first round at 9:50 pm eastern time on TBS.

The Badgers are playing in front of their hometown fans in, as the first and second rounds will be played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Fiserv Forum.

#3 Wisconsin finished the regular at 24-7 overall, first in the Big Ten Conference, and finished #12 in the AP Top 25 ranking, while #14 Colgate finished the regular season at 23-11 overall, first in the Patriots League, and also winning the Patriot League Championship game against Navy.

Players to Watch

Johnny Davis is the main player to watch for the Wisconsin Badgers. Davis, who finished the regular season averaging 19.7 points per game, and 8.2 rebounds per game, will look to lead this Badger team far into the tournament with his play on both ends of the court. He will need to be a key piece to this team if the Badgers look to take down #14 Colgate in the first round. Brad Davidson will be another player to watch for the Badgers.

Davidson, who averages 14.5 points per game, and 4.1 rebound points per game, is a threat from the three-point line and will be a key piece for the Badgers’ offense down the stretch of tight games.

Tyler Wahl will be the last player to watch for the Badgers against Colgate. Wahl, who averages 11.4 points per game, and 5.7 rebounds per game, will look to take control of the painted area and drive to the basket to get the hard points and rebounds that keep the Badgers in the game. With these three on the court, Wisconsin will have the best shot at advancing to the next round.

Keys to the Game

1. Slow down Nelly Cummings- Nelly Cummings, who has been the key factor for the Colgate Raiders, lead the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game. The Badgers will have to force him to take the difficult shot and force the turnovers on the defensive end.
2. Feed off the hometown crowd- The first and second round of the NCAA Tournament will be played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Badgers will need to take advantage of the hometown crowd and feed of the energy in front of their fans
3. Take control of game from the jump- The Badgers have to take control of the game early against Colgate, as the Raiders are riding on a hot streak to end the regular season. Wisconsin has to start off hot on both ends of the court and slow down the quick style of offense that Colgate brings to the table.

Wisconsin takes on Colgate at 9:50 pm eastern time on TBS. Will the Badgers take the win in front of their hometown fans? Or will the Raiders play spoilers and advance to the second round? We will have to wait and see.