Three key stats that defined Wisconsin's Big Ten Tournament victory over Michigan State
Three key stats that defined Wisconsin's Big Ten Tournament victory over Michigan State
The Wisconsin Badgers have successfully avenged their regular-season losses to UCLA and Michigan State in recent days. They accomplished the latter with a thrilling 77-74 win over the Spartans in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal on Saturday.
The down-to-the-wire contest was tightly contested throughout, with Greg Gard and his Wisconsin team ultimately prevailing in the end.
Wisconsin struggled during its road loss to Michigan State on March 2, both due to poor shooting and the absence of starting guard Max Klesmit. The Badgers looked like a different team during Saturday's triumph. They played both one of their most physical and strongest defensive games of the season.
Michigan State shot well from three, though struggled to connect at the rim due to stellar defense from Wisconsin's starters and reserves. Greg Gard and his coaching staff deserve significant credit for creating an effective game plan to defeat a Michigan State team that hadn't lost since Feb. 11.
Wisconsin now has an opportunity to capture the Big Ten Tournament title for the first time since 2015. Before focus turns to its championship matchup against Michigan, here are three stats that defined the Badgers' big victory over the Michigan State Spartans:
Carter Gilmore's ten points, five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks
Carter Gilmore filled up the stat sheet on Saturday with arguably his most complete game of the season. He affected the game on both ends of the court, including making the biggest defensive play of the season -- blocking Michigan State guard Tre Holloman's game-tying three-point attempt in the closing seconds.
Gilmore's development has been incredible to watch throughout the season. Saturday's performance shows that he can excel against the best of the best.
Michigan State's eight offensive rebounds
Eight offensive rebounds might seem like a lot. However, for a Michigan State team that averages 10.4 per game, it's far below what the Spartans had hoped for. Wisconsin has notoriously struggled on the defensive glass at times this season, most notably against Illinois in December, Oregon in February and Michigan State earlier this month. The Badgers managed to keep the Spartans in check on the offensive glass, allowing two less than their per-game average. Wisconsin might not be a rebounding juggernaut, but today's effort on the glass was impressive and was one of the key reasons why the team won the game.
Wisconsin's seven turnovers
Wisconsin averages 9.6 turnovers per game on the season. It turned the ball over only seven times against Michigan State's top-ranked defense. The performance continues to prove that while Wisconsin's tempo and style of offense have changed, its discipline and fundamental attitude haven't. The principles of Bo Ryan's Wisconsin teams remain, even if the program no longer utilizes the swing offense.
Overall, the Badgers picked up a huge Quad 1A win against an NCAA Tournament favorite. The result almost guarantees them a No. 3 seed in Sunday's NCAA Tournament bracket. Before that bracket is unveiled, Wisconsin has an opportunity to defeat Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament title. A win would be the program's first since Greg Gard took over in 2016.
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