Wisconsin basketball has seen a resurgence in popularity home win against Ohio State Tuesday evening.
Although the 80-78 triumph was a little too close for comfort as the Badgers gave up a 17-point halftime lead, the result still counts as the team’s second Quad 1 win of the season .
Related: What to take away from Wisconsin basketball’s close win over Ohio State
Wisconsin is now 2-3 in Quad 1 games (wins over Arizona and Ohio Stateplus the losses MichiganIllinois and Marquette), 5-0 against Quad 2 opponents and 7-0 against everyone else. The team continues to build a strong resume in the NCAA Tournament as it emerges as a possible contender for Big Ten victory.
Rating metrics keep their outlook optimistic for the Badgers after their win over a highly ranked Buckeyes team. Wisconsin remains in the top tier of the Big Ten in KenPom and ESPN BPI:
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KenPom: No. 21 in the general ranking (same ranking as after the Minnesota Victory) and No. 5 in the Big Ten, with the No. 12 offense and No. 50 defense in the country.
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ESPN-BPI: No. 28 overall (down one spot) and No. 6 in the Big Ten, with a projected record of 21.9-9.1 and a 7.3% chance of winning the Big Ten.
Wisconsin’s defensive progression is the most obvious development based on predictive metrics, KenPom in particular. The Badgers have risen to their current 50th spot in defensive efficiency after sitting in the mid-80s early in the calendar year. Greg Gard pointed out this side of the field makes a big difference between Wisconsin being good and being championship ready.
The Badgers are back on the field Saturday to face a U.S.C. team (KenPom n°63) which has just recorded big victories against Illinois and Iowa. They then follow up with a game on the road in difficulty UCLA (KenPom No. 37) Tuesday. The two-game West Coast road trip will be Wisconsin’s first in the conference’s new era.
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