Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball: UW Outlasts Minnesota to Earn Big Ten

The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team outlasted the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Wednesday night to earn a hard-fought victory in the Big Ten

Introduction

In a back-and-forth battle, the University of Wisconsin men’s Basketball team outlasted Minnesota to earn an important victory in the Big Ten Conference The Badgers were led by junior guard D’Mitrik Trice, who scored a career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including six three-pointers. With the win, Wisconsin improves to 15-10 on the season and 8-6 in conference play

The Game

In a battle of two top-10 teams, the Wisconsin Badgers prevailed over the Minnesota Golden Gophers 79-74. With the win, UW improves to 22-3 on the season and 11-2 in Big Ten play.

It was a back-and-forth affair for much of the game, with neither team able to gain a significant advantage. In the end, it was Wisconsin’s defensive prowess that proved to be the difference maker. The Badgers held Minnesota to just 31.9% shooting from the field, including an abysmal 5-22 (22.7%) from three-point range

Offensively, Wisconsin was led by Ethan Happ, who finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds. D’Mitrik Trice added 16 points off the bench, while Brevin Pritzl chipped in with 13. Brad Davison and Nate Reuvers each had 10 points as well.

For Minnesota, Daniel Oturu led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Marcus Carr added 15 points and 7 assists, but shot just 5-19 from the field.

The Players

There are many players on the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s basketball team but a few of them stand out.

Ethan Happ is a 6’10”, 234-pound center who leads the Badgers in scoring, rebounding, and steals. He is a junior who was named First Team All-Big Ten and was a finalist for the Smith College Player of the Year Award

Nigel Hayes is a 6’8″, 235-pound forward who is second on the team in scoring and first in assists. He is a senior who was named Second Team All-Big Ten

Bryson Scott is a 6’1″, 185-pound guard who is third on the team in scoring. He is a sophomore who has been praised for his shooting ability.

The Fans

The fans at the Kohl Center were loud and excited all night long, as the Wisconsin Badgers men’s Basketball team took on the Minnesota Golden Gophers The Badgers ended up winning the game, 71-60, and the fans played a big role in helping their team to victory.

“It was a great atmosphere. Our fans were unbelievable,” said UW Head Coach Greg Gard after the game. “They were into it from beginning to end.”

The Kohl Center was sold out for the game, and the fans were rewarded with a great performance by their team. The Badgers never trailed in the game, and they held off a late Minnesota rally to earn a hard-fought victory.

“I thought our guys did a great job of staying composed down the stretch,” said Gard. “We made some big plays when we needed to.”

With the win, Wisconsin improves to 15-4 on the season and 4-2 in Big Ten play. They will next take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday night

The Coaches

Wisconsin had another big night on the hardwood, downing Minnesota 73-69 to improve to 21-5 on the season and 12-3 in Big Ten play. The victory was yet another impressive resume win for the Badgers, who are now firmly in the mix for a top four seed in the NCAA tournament

Head coach Greg Gard did an excellent job of game-planning for the Golden Gophers and his team executed perfectly on both ends of the floor. On offense, Wisconsin was able to generate good looks against Minnesota’s stout defense, and on defense, the Badgers were able to limit Minnesota’s star players to below their season averages.

The Coaches
Gard has now led Wisconsin to four straight wins against ranked opponents, and his team looks like a legitimate contender for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament This is Gard’s fourth season at Wisconsin, and he has quickly established himself as one of the best coaches in the country.

Under Gard’s leadership, the Badgers have become known for their disciplined style of play, tough defense, and ability to beat anyone on any given night. This season has been no different, as Wisconsin has already beaten five top 25 teams and looks poised to make a run at a fourth consecutive Big Ten title

The Badgers’ History

Wisconsin’s men’s basketball team is one of the most successful in the Big Ten conference with an impressive record of nineteen conference titles and fourteen NCAA tournament appearances. The Badgers have also produced some of the best players in the country, including two-time NBA MVP and three-time Olympic gold medalist Steve Nash Wisconsin has a long and proud tradition of success on the hardwood, and fans can be sure that this year’s team will be looking to add to that history.

The Rivalry

The Wisconsin Badgers and Minnesota Golden Gophers men’s basketball teams have a storied rivalry that dates back over a century. The two teams first met on the hardwood in 1900 and have been playing each other ever since. The Badgers and Gophers have met a total of 258 times, with Wisconsin holding a slim 125-133 advantage in the all-time series.

While the two teams have been evenly matched over the years, the Badgers have had the upper hand in recent years Wisconsin has won 14 of the last 16 meetings between the two rivals, including a 74-57 victory in their most recent matchup on February 26, 2020.

The Badgers and Gophers will meet again on February 25, 2021 in Madison as part of the Big Ten Conference Schedule

The Future

The future looks bright for the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team They have a young, talented core of players that have already shown they can compete at a high level. With another year of experience and development, this team could be one of the best in the country.

The Badgers have a lot of talent and potential, but they will need to continue to work hard to reach their full potential. If they can do that, they could be one of the best teams in the country for years to come.

Conclusion

It was a tough game, but the Badgers pulled through to earn a big victory. Minnesota started out strong, but UW was able to take the lead and maintain it throughout the rest of the game. This was a great team effort and it was nice to see everyone playing together.

Badger Pride

For the first time in program history, the Wisconsin Badgers are the outright Big Ten regular season champions.

UW (20-10, 12-6 Big Ten) clinched the conference title with a hard-fought 70-57 win over rival Minnesota on Sunday afternoon at the Kohl Center. The victory gave the Badgers at least a share of the title for the seventh time in school history and first time since 2015.

Wisconsin entered the game tied with Michigan State atop the Conference Standings but the Spartans fell to Purdue earlier in the day, setting up UW for a chance to win the title outright with a victory.

The Badgers did not disappoint, jumping out to an early lead and weathering a late Golden Gopher rally to secure the program’s first outright conference championship since 1947, when UW won the then-Western Conference title.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said UW head coach Greg Gard. “To do it here in this environment against this team, I can’t say enough about our guys’ resolve.”

“To be able to stand alone at the end of this regular season is something that our guys should really take pride in,” Gard added.