Following the loss to Northwestern Tuesday, Michigan basketball can’t afford to drop a second straight game, which makes beating Wisconsin a must.
There is no shame in Michigan basketball losing at Northwestern Tuesday night. Especially considering the two teams played just eight days previously and had a competitive game in Ann Arbor.
It’s tough to beat a team twice in the same year. And Northwestern, with Chris Collins, is well coached, which makes it even tougher. The loss dropped Michigan basketball to 8-5 and fifth in the Big Ten behind Nebraska. The loss hurt no doubt, but if the Wolverines can beat Wisconsin Sunday, the ship will be righted.
If they can’t beat the Badgers in Madison though, it could spell trouble for UM’s NCAA Tournament hopes.
Currently, the Wolverines are in a good position. Joe Lunardi of ESPN released his latest projection Thursday and despite the loss to the Wildcats, he still had Michigan listed as a No.7. UM is still strong in the RPI at No. 38 and has two top-50 wins, both on the road.
As far as Wisconsin is concerned, it’s been a down year. The Badgers ranked 157 in the RPI and are among the worst teams in the Big Ten. Northwestern won in Madison last weekend, so hopefully the Wolverines can duplicate the feat.
Also, just in case you’re in need, here is all the game info for Wisconsin:
Game info:
Game 27: Michigan vs Wisconsin
When: 1:00 PM EST
Where: Kohl Center
TV: CBS
Streaming: CBS Sports App/cbssports.com
Radio: WWJ (950 AM) in Detroit
Breaking down the Badgers
Incredibly, Wisconsin is 10-14 overall and 3-9 in the Big Ten. Even with Ethan Happ, a guy many expected to contend for Big Ten Player of the Year, the Badgers have been one of the worst teams in the league.
Happ is averaging more than 17 points and eight rebounds per game, but he has little help. Brad Davison and Khalil Iverson average around 11 and nine points respectively and those are the Badgers second and third-leading scorers.
Wisconsin is a decent defensive team, although part of their 66.4 points allowed, which ranks 43rd in the nation, probably has to do with their slow pace of play.
On the offensive end, the Badgers average just 67 points per game, ranking 312th. All three of the Badgers best wins have come in Big Ten play. The wins came against Penn State, Indiana and Illinois. They are 0-5 against ranked teams (Michigan is No. 20 AP and Coaches).
Why it’s a must win
Wisconsin has also been in a bit of a tailspin lately, losing five in a row and eight of their last nine games. The only win came over Illinois, although the Badgers have played competitive games with Maryland, Nebraska and Northwestern in that time.
The point is, a loss for Michigan basketball would be bad. It would be by far the worst loss of the season and it couldn’t come at a worse time. Wisconsin and Iowa are the next two games and they are both great opportunities to win and clinch a winning record in conference play, which looks good on the resume.
If the Wolverines win both and get to 10-5, that might just cement their NCAA bid, although another win over Ohio State, Penn State or Maryland would help, particularly for seeding. However, a loss puts UM at 8-6. That means a 2-2 record would be needed to finish 10-8. Otherwise 9-9 comes into play and that makes things really scary.
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Michigan controls its own destiny and that’s great. Now it’s time to play like it. The one thing this team can’t afford is a bad loss and dropping a game to either Wisconsin or Iowa would be as exactly that.