Fresh off an 85-82 win over the Washington Huskies, the No. 5 seed Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the No. 4 seed Illinois Fighting Illini in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday, with tip-off set for 1:45 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
On Thursday, the Badgers escaped with a victory over Washington in a game where they were in control for 30 minutes but then saw an 18-point lead evaporate in the final minutes, leading to a close finish. Wisconsin ultimately pulled away with a three-point
win, thanks to a clutch jumper from John Blackwell and two free throws from Andrew Rohde in the final seconds.
Now, Wisconsin has a rematch with the Illinois Fighting Illini, whom they beat 92-90 in overtime on the road in February. That game was a thriller, as Wisconsin started strong in that one as well and overcame a late run from Illinois to secure the victory in extra time.
But, the circumstances are much different on Friday. Not only is the game at a neutral court, but Wisconsin will be without starting center Nolan Winter, while Illinois has guards Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic back and healthy.
The winner of Friday’s game will go on to face the Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Saturday. The Wolverines escaped with a close victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday, and are the favorites to win the tournament.
Heading into the game, the Badgers are 7.5-point underdogs.
Can the Badgers find a way to secure another upset and improve their seeding in the NCAA Tournament? Join us as our game thread is officially open!
