The Wisconsin Badgers beat the Washington Huskies 85-82 on Thursday, advancing to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, where they’ll face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday, with tip-off slated for 1:30 p.m.
In the win, the Badgers got out to strong starts in both halves and even led by 18 with 13:23 remaining, but struggled down the stretch defensively, allowing Washington to bring it all the way down to one before Wisconsin got the job done at the end.
Star guard John Blackwell was the one who
came up clutch, hitting a needed jumper in the paint to put Wisconsin up three late in the game, which was good enough for the Badgers to secure the win. It was a vintage performance from Blackwell, who broke Wisconsin’s program record for the most points in a Big Ten Tournament game with 34.
In fact, Blackwell’s 34 points are tied for the third-most ever by a player, regardless of school, in the Big Ten Tournament.
All year long, we’ve heard and seen how dynamic Wisconsin’s star duo of Blackwell and Nick Boyd can be, with one being able to pick up the other when needed. They’re the key reason why Wisconsin has been able to beat teams like Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan State, proving to be one of the most dangerous teams in the country.
But it hasn’t been all sunshine for Blackwell, who went through a couple of cold spells this season, struggling to score efficiently at times. That tanked his field goal percentage down to 42.2 percent, as he’s shooting 46.6 percent only on twos.
Through a 10-game stretch from late January to the end of February, Blackwell dealt with those inconsistencies, shooting just 38.4 percent from the field in that set of games. The Badgers guard cleared 46 percent from the field or higher just once in that period, and Wisconsin lost four games: USC, Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon.
When he’s struggling, you still see the good things. Blackwell continues to attack relentlessly, no matter the case, and he doesn’t lose confidence. But you also see the shot selection being questionable at times, and Wisconsin’s offense suffering generally because of his importance.
Well, the Badgers guard has really turned things around and looked like himself since that stretch, playing exceptionally well in Wisconsin’s last three games. During the Badgers three-game win streak, Blackwell is averaging 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals on 58.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. He’s shooting exceptionally well on twos (70 percent) and getting to his spots while playing off his teammates.
In the last two, though, he’s come up big when Wisconsin needed him to. Blackwell strung the offense along early against Purdue and had a strong start to the second half, which was crucial to keep Wisconsin on top in a back-and-forth battle. Then, on Thursday, he had one of his best games as a Badger with 34 points, being the key to breaking Washington’s zone.
Blackwell is the key to Wisconsin’s success in March. Nick Boyd has been the more consistent guard this season, and the Badgers know what to expect from him. But Blackwell is the X-Factor because when he’s on, this offense is as dangerous as any in the country.
He has just struggled to string together several consistent games this year, which is what the Badgers need, especially in March. But now, he’s heating up at the right time, and Wisconsin will look to ride that on a March run with another talented team under Greg Gard.
