NFL
By: Melo Williams
#18 Wisconsin Badgers (11-4) overall (3-2) in the conference head to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Indiana Hoosiers (10-6) overall (1-4) in the B1G at Assembly Hall Saturday afternoon.
Wisconsin has lost two straight games. Lost 69-65 at home to Michigan State on Tuesday, and 79-69 at Illinois on Saturday dropping from #14 to #18 in the AP Poll.
Indiana has lost six of their last nine games, including three straight in conference play, and went from being the No. 10 team in the country to tied for last in the Big Ten with a 1-4 conference record in just a month.
For Wisconsin, there’s been some disappointment but also a lot of encouragement as well in in the land of Bucky.
Wisconsin had an opportunity to win both games versus Illinois and Michigan State, but lack of experience and missing Tyler Wahl’s presence and scoring prevented the Badgers from closing out for wins.
The disappointment comes from seeing the Badgers suffer its second consecutive loss without senior forward Tyler Wahl.
The encouragement is knowing the Badgers had a chance to win, played better overall as a team, and the bench produced against the Spartans, something Badgers coach Greg Gard didn’t get from his team against Illinois.
Gard told reporters after the Michigan State loss, “I thought we were better tonight than we were on Saturday, which is encouraging for a coach to watch a team develop,” Gard said. “Specifically, I thought our guys off the bench gave us a great boost in the first half.”
UW got 17 points from the reserves in the first half against Michigan State. Connor Essegian scored 10, Markus Ilver chipped in 5 points, and Chris Hodges scored 2 points.
Wisconsin’s bench finished with 20 points led by 13 points from Connor Essegian, six rebounds and one assist between the trio. Issac Lindsey pulled down four rebounds for the Badgers as well off the bench.
Ilver missed all 3 three-point attempts and went just 1 of 6 from the field overall in the loss to Illinois. He connected on 1 of 2 three-pointers and 2 of 5 shots overall against Michigan State. He had one rebound and just one assist in 19 minutes.
Not knowing if Tyler Wahl, who suffered an ankle injury on Jan. 3 against Minnesota, will be healthy enough to suit up for the Badgers or not, the Wisconsin bench must be prepared and ready because they will be needed again on Saturday when Wisconsin faces Indiana. Even if Wahl plays, I wouldn’t expect him to be able to push off and cut on the ankle comfortably. Expect Indiana coach Mike Woodson, to have his players test Wahl’s lateral defense early if he suits up.
When Greg Gard was asked about Wahls availability after the game against the Spartans he said, “Will he be available Saturday?” “I don’t know.”
Wahl was held out of practice on Thursday again and his status for the Indiana game is still uncertain as of today.
In two starts, forward Carter Gilmore has contributed nine points, eight rebounds, and two assists. He has become more assertive offensively and hit a three-pointer with 5:45 left to give UW a 57-52 lead over Michigan State.
Gard was asked about Ilver and Hodges’s play against Michigan State and he said, “both players appeared more comfortable than they were against Illinois.”
“I see them getting better every day,” Gard said, referring to practices, and tonight I saw it when the lights were on, too.”
In eight games as a freshman last season, Ilver played a total of 29 minutes. He played just five minutes in B1G play.
“I think the fight we showed in getting down early and coming back was a positive sign for us,” junior Steven Crowl said. “And some of those guys coming off the bench was good to see.”
“We’ll use this and work on some things and continue to get better,” Gard said. “But I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen – some of the guys are getting better that aren’t in the main rotation. It is going to help us as time goes on.”
Leading scorers
Indiana Hoosiers
• F Trayce Jackson-Davis: 17.4 ppg, 9.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.8 bpg
• G Jalen Hood-Schifino: 13.2 ppg, 4.5 APG, 4.4 RPG, 45.8 3-point FG pct
• G Tamar Bates: 9.3 ppg, 40.7 3-point FG pct
Wisconsin Badgers
• F Tyler Wahl (out last two games): 13.2 ppg, 6.4 RPG
• G Chucky Hepburn: 13.0 ppg, 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 48.5 3-point FG pct
• C Steven Crowl: 12.9 ppg, 6.6 RPG, 3.1 APG
• G Connor Essegian: 10.3 ppg, 45.6 3-point FG pct
CONCLUSION:
Wisconsin should win this game. Indiana has been struggling defensively though, at one time the Hoosiers were one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Both teams are dealing with injuries, but the Badgers seem more ready than the Hoosiers do playing without their best players.
Saturday is a must-win game for a variety of reasons for both teams but I have the Badgers winning 73-60.
SERIES NOTES:
Last meeting:
Wisconsin defeated Indiana 74-69 in Bloomington, Ind. on Feb. 15, 2022. Johnny Davis scored 30 points and 12 rebounds on 10-for-15 shooting, and Brad Davison added 21 points and seven rebounds. Davis scored 13 points in the final 3:52 to erase a five-point deficit. Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three blocks, and Race Thompson added 13 points and eight rebounds.
Series history:
Indiana leads the all-time series 96-80, but Wisconsin is 24-3 against Indiana since Jan. 31, 2008. The Hoosiers held a 52-6 record against Wisconsin between March 5, 1968, and Jan. 5, 2000, which included a 31-game win streak.
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