The 23rd-ranked Wisconsin Badgers take on the ninth-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals. Tipoff is at 1:30 PM CT today on the Big Ten Network, and the Illini are favored by 7.5 points.
Yesterday, John Blackwell and Nick Boyd carried Wisconsin to an 85-82 win over the Washington Huskies. Blackwell was tremendous, scoring 34 points, while Boyd chipped in 22. However, it was a game where the Badgers nearly coughed up an 18-point second-half lead at the end.
Looking
ahead, the last time we played in Illinois in Champaign on February 10, the Badgers rallied in the second half to force overtime, winning 92-90 in the extra period. What has changed for the Illini since falling to the Badgers?
Opponent Preview
Illinois finished the regular season with a solid 24-7 overall record and a 15-5 Big Ten record, finishing in a three-way tie for second in the conference standings with Michigan State and Nebraska. Since the Illini’s overtime loss to Wisconsin, Illinois has won four games and lost two, including a head-scratching loss at UCLA in which they allowed Donovan Dent to drive coast-to-coast for a game-winning layup.
The Illini got a boost to their backcourt after the Wisconsin game with the return of guard Kylan Boswell from a broken hand. Since coming back, Boswell has averaged 10.5 points per game, including a 15-point performance in a loss to No. 3 Michigan.
Keaton Wagler, who went off for 34 points in the loss to Wisconsin, took home the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. It’s a deserved honor, as Wagler’s 17.9 points surpassed Cory Bradford’s 15.4 points per game from the 1998-99 season. Another freshman who’s impressed this year has been forward David Mirkovic, the Illini’s top rebounder at 7.8 rebounds per game. Mirkovic received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and All-Big Ten Freshman recognition and has brought a high-intensity motor to Champaign.
Score Prediction
I don’t like this game for Wisconsin. With the presumed loss of Nolan Winter and how poorly we rebounded against Washington, that spells doom against the Big Ten’s best rebounding team. Couple that with the return of Boswell to Illinois’ lineup, and I think the Badgers are in for a long afternoon.
Prediction: Illinois 83-74
