Wisconsin basketball outplayed Washington in an 88-62 victory in Tuesday night.
The Wisconsin Badgers jumped out to a big lead early against the Washington Huskies, and Wisconsin never looked back. John Blackwell had 19 points in the first half alone, as the Badgers led by 15 at the break. Blackwell would finish with 24 points and 10 rebounds for the first double-double of his career.
Takeaway #1: Wisconsin won the battle of the big men
Wisconsin basketball won this battle inside and out, but it started down low. This may have been a concern coming into the game for the Badgers, with Great Osobor (6’8, 250 lbs) and Franck Kepnang (6’11, 253 lbs) having some success inside this season. However, Wisconsin outscored Washington 22-10 in the paint in the first half.
Throughout the game, the Badgers dominated the glass, out-rebounding Washington 41-26. 13 of those 41 rebounds came on the offensive glass. Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter have continued to complement each other well (although usually it is just one of them on the floor), with Carter Gilmore serving as a stout defensive replacement off the bench at the four.
Takeaway #2: Wisconsin has had a lot of dominant victories
This was Wisconsin’s fifth conference win of the season by 20 or more points, which leads the Big Ten this season. The last time the Badgers have achieved that feat was in the 2003-04 season.
When looking at this feat, you have to pay tribute to Wisconsin’s defense this season. The Badgers give up just 70.9 points per game, holding their opponents to under 42 percent shooting from the field. Wisconsin has won the battle of the boards all season long, boasting a +3.7 rebounding margin.
A large part of Wisconsin’s defensive prowess comes off of their bench. Kamari McGee, Carter Gilmore, and Xavier Amos are three of Wisconsin’s best defensive players, all of whom come off the bench.
Takeaway #3: It is time for Washington to start from scratch
Washington was outclassed from the start tonight, which has followed a pattern all season long. The Huskies are in last place in the conference, having posted just a 4-13 conference record, and are the only under .500 team in the Big Ten this season (13-15).
Great Osobor, who has been the offensive fuel for the Huskies, is in his final year of eligibility. Osobor led the team against Wisconsin with 11 points, but he tallied just two rebounds. Their center, Franck Kepnang, is also out of eligibility.
The Huskies have a somewhat promising trio of guards in Mekhi Mason (9.5 ppg), Tyler Harris (12.1 ppg), and Vazoumana Diallo (11.2 ppg). Diallo, a freshman, is a particularly intriguing talent, but who knows if head coach Danny Sprinkle can keep Diallo in Washington with the effects of NIL on the transfer portal. Losses to teams like Seattle tend to repel talent. This season was always going to be tough for a first-year head coach with his program in a new conference, but the Huskies have undoubtedly performed below expectations.
Next up for Wisconsin (22-6, 12-5): at #8 Michigan State (22-5, 13-3) – Mar. 2 at 12:30 p.m.
Next up for Washington (13-15, 4-13):Â vs. Indiana (16-11, 7-9) – Mar. 1 at 3 p.m. PST