18. Wisconsin (24-10)
When the shots are falling and the Badgers are on their game, there really isn’t a matchup that Wisconsin cannot win. That was evident in their January win at Michigan which remains one of the best wins any team has had the entire season. Recent double-digit losses to Ohio State and Oregon showcase the opposite effect, as the Badgers’ defense isn’t exactly top-notch and when the offense stalls it really hurts their potential.
The Big Ten Tournament was an example of that potential, starting off by surviving Washington 85-82 on Thursday. John Blackwell had 34 points and 10 rebounds while Nick Boyd added 23 points and 9 assists. In the quarterfinals, the Badgers dug out of a major hole to upend Illinois 91-88 in overtime. Boyd scored 38 points and Blackwell added 31 with two more monster efforts. The story was very similar against Michigan in the semifinals until the Wolverines hit the game-winner in the final second. That 68-65 loss included a heroic 18-point performance from Austin Rapp as the Badgers fell just short.
This Wisconsin team truly feels like a situation where they’re either going to lose to a hot-shooting team in the first round or run all the way to the Final Four. They actually had one of their best defensive performances of the season in Saturday’s loss when they needed it most and clearly have one of the best one-two punches in the Tourney field in Blackwell and Boyd. A lot depends on that offense and if the shots fall next week.