It’s been commonly stated over the last few weeks that this Michigan basketball team is one of the greatest in the history of the conference. To cement that, a Big Ten Tournament title is almost necessary to stay in the conversation with the 1975-76 Indiana Hoosiers, who went undefeated in conference play on their way to a national championship.
Now the only team that stands in their of a Big Ten Tournament title appearance is the same that handed them their lone conference loss, the Wisconsin Badgers.
Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals: No. 1 Michigan (30-2, 19-1) vs. No. 5 Wisconsin (24-9, 14-6)
- Date & Time: Saturday, March 14, 1 p.m. ET
- Location: Chicago, IL
- TV/Streaming: CBS/Paramount+
After a 14-0 start to the season, Dusty May led the Wolverines to the No. 2 ranking in the sport. Many began to question if anyone could take them down, as they had a point differential of over 25 points per game and were averaging well over 90 points per game.
Then the Badgers came to Ann Arbor as an unranked opponent and the Wolverines were favored by double digits. But Wisconsin shot the lights out of the gym, hitting 15 three-pointers at a 45 percent clip to hand Michigan its first loss of the season.
It triggered a 14-4 finish to the regular season for the Badgers. With their Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal OT win over Illinois, Wisconsin has won five straight against AP top-25 opponents. In each one of them, the Badgers were the lower ranked team.
Now, the Wolverines will get the opportunity to avenge their lone conference loss with history on the line for a consecutive appearance in the title game.
The Stat to Watch
Three-Point Shooting Percentage: Michigan – 36.4%, Wisconsin – 35.9%
If there is one team in the conference that can keep pace with Michigan on offense, it’s the Badgers. That’s been proven in the last five games they have beaten a higher ranked team. Wisconsin has averaged 92.6 points per game and 14.8 three-pointers made in those wins.
In its two losses this season, Michigan has shot 28 percent from deep. It’s a smaller sample size, but generally when guys like Yaxel Lendeborg and Nimari Burnett are hitting shots from deep, it opens up the offense to an almost unstoppable level because of the interior presence of Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr.
The team that shoots better from behind the arc could very well be the one that comes out on top on Saturday.