Needing to stack wins to solidify an at-large NCAA Match bid, the College of Wisconsin put up a struggle worthy of being chosen by the committee in 4 days. Downside was that the Badgers’ struggle didn’t begin till they have been down by a season-worst 27 factors.

A flat begin by the Twelfth-seeded Badgers dug them too deep of a gap to try to climb out of, as Wisconsin’s livid second-half comeback received no nearer than 4 factors in what was finally a 65-57 defeat to No.13 Ohio State within the Huge Ten Match in Chicago’s United Middle.

Regardless of ending three video games out of a second-place tie within the convention, the Badgers (17-14) have been pressured to play within the first spherical of the convention match for the primary time for the reason that discipline expanded in 2015. The primary half confirmed the explanation why Wisconsin completed the place it did and why the Badgers are doubtless going to have an uncomfortable wait till the brackets are introduced on Sunday night time.

Listed here are my takeaways from Wisconsin’s quick keep within the convention’s postseason match.

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard might sense one thing was off along with his workforce within the early moments of Wednesday’s match. Regardless of the business-like strategy put forth by Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn, and Connor Essegian throughout a media convention Tuesday, the Badgers remained a younger group that has handled lots of painful classes this season.

Figuring out they in all probability wanted an excellent displaying to solidify a bid, the Badgers performed tentative within the first half and have been stream rolled by an Ohio State workforce that was taking part in with nothing to lose.

The end result was the Buckeyes capturing 68.2 p.c from the sphere within the first half, doing many of the injury on two-point photographs (11-for-15) and including well timed photographs from the perimeter (4-for-7). UW dedicated solely 4 fouls within the first half, an indication to Gard that the Badgers have been entering into shooter’s lanes and harassing them practically sufficient to make them uncomfortable or stopping dribble penetration.

“We threw the ball away, did not deal with easy overplays,” Gard mentioned. “That instructed me we have been hesitant and tentative, they usually have been the extra aggressive workforce within the first 20.”

Wisconsin performed tight and the top outcomes confirmed it. No participant scored greater than six factors within the first half and the workforce mixed for seven discipline targets, two lower than the Buckeyes made on their stretch of 9 straight that lasted from the 12:35 mark to 4:44.

“I really feel like seeing these photographs not go in undoubtedly performed on us, and it affected our protection,” Wahl mentioned. “They have been tremendous aggressive. We weren’t sound on protection by the beginning of it, and from the photographs not entering into, we simply dug ourselves in an enormous gap, and it was onerous to come back again from that.”

Crowl was the main scorer along with his six factors, however Gard thought the junior regarded “heavy-legged” and was struggling to complete performs across the rim.

“We weren’t asserting,” Gard mentioned. “We weren’t attacking the paint like we’ve got at instances. We have watched his progress and improvement, and one of many large jumps he is received to make is he is received to be assertive and aggressive and attempt to — I generally inform him he is too unselfish. He is all the time seeking to move as a substitute of attempting to go rating. In order that’s a part of his maturity and progress.”

Say what you need concerning the total expertise of this Wisconsin workforce and the questionable execution/decision-making this workforce has had in vital moments this season, however the one factor that may’t be debated is that the Badgers continued to play onerous to the bitter finish.

UW hasn’t received consecutive video games in over two months, and began its postseason run down 27 factors with 15:31 remaining, but didn’t pack it in once they simply might have waved the white flag.

The Badgers chipped away all through the second half, beginning with a 9-0 run that included Jordan Davis hitting UW’s first three-pointer on the 14:17 mark (the Badgers had missed their first 10) and Essegian weaving by means of visitors for an acrobatic off-balanced layup.

Wahl was nonexistent within the first half (like a lot of his teammates) however the senior had 17 factors and 9 rebounds within the second half alone, together with a private 8-0 run that introduced Wisconsin to inside 55-41 with 8:38 remaining.

The largest noise got here with Essegian, Hepburn, and Wahl hit three-pointers on three consecutive possessions, capping an 11-0 run that introduced the Badgers to inside 5 with 2:13 remaining. UW ultimately lower it to 4 however managed solely 5 factors on its closing 10 possessions and petered out.

“We knew what the stakes have been,” Wahl mentioned. “We had somewhat speak on the locker room at halftime. We knew what was at stake, and we knew what we needed to do. We needed to come out with much more higher power, and we needed to get some stops. We received some down the stretch, and it simply wasn’t sufficient.”

Wisconsin should now sit and wait till Sunday to search out out if the Badgers have finished sufficient to warrant a range into the NCAA Match. a number of the groups that bracketologist are evaluating them to, it’s not an encouraging sight.

Wisconsin: 17-14 total, NET rating – 78, Quad-1 document – 6-7, Quad-2 document – 5-6.

Penn State: 19-12 total, NET rating – 56, Quad-1 document – 5-6, Quad-2 document – 4-5.

Mississippi State: 20-11 total, NET rating – 46, Quad-1 document – 4-7, Quad-2 document – 3-3.

Michigan: 17-14 total, NET rating – 54, Quad-1 document – 3-11, Quad-2 document – 5-2.

Utah State: 24-7 total, NET rating – 21, Quad-1 document – 1-4, Quad-2 document – 8-1.

Rutgers: 18-13 total, NET rating – 42, Quad-1 document – 5-6, Quad-2 document – 4-4.

Nevada: 21-9 total, NET rating – 36, Quad-1 document – 4-5, Quad-2 document – 3-2.

Oklahoma State: 17-14 total, NET rating – 43, Quad-1 document – 6-11, Quad-2 document – 3-2.

The Badgers simply have the more serious NET rating of the group (a rating that would/ought to go down as soon as the Ohio State loss is factored in) and haven’t any extra video games to play. Of the groups talked about, each workforce performs Thursday: Michigan, Penn State, and Rutgers within the Huge Ten Match quarterfinals, Mississippi State is within the SEC second spherical, and Nevada and Utah State play within the Mountain West quarterfinals. Oklahoma State is the one workforce that performed Wednesday.

The trail for the Badgers is exceptionally slim, if there even is one in any respect.

10 – First spherical exits for Wisconsin in 25 Huge Ten Match appearances.

24.0 – Capturing share for Wisconsin’s three beginning guards: Essegian (4-13), Hepburn (2-9), and Klesmit (0-3).

13.2 – Scoring common for Wahl during the last 5 video games. He completed with 19 factors and 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.

4-22 – Three-point capturing for Wisconsin towards Ohio State

52.3 – Capturing share for the Buckeyes, the seventh time the Badgers have allowed an opponent to shoot over 50 p.c from the sphere, which incorporates the final three video games.

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