One of the things about Wisconsin basketball is that they do not get blown out. It is very rare to see Wisconsin basketball get ran off the court. The style of basketball that they play doesn’t lead to it. That’s why it was so jarring to see what happened to the Badgers on Tuesday night. Michigan went on an incredible 43-6 run that spanned the first and second half of the game. The Badgers did not score in double-figures in the second and third ‘quarters’ of the game. It was hard to remember anything like this. Wisconsin was ice cold while Michigan was red hot. Badgers trailed by 40 at one point, but they made it a respectable 27 by the end of it.

What went wrong for Wisconsin: Badgers went to sleep defensively – They have a good defensive team, but one thing that is noticeable this season is the ability to lapse out. We saw it in the second half against Maryland. The first half against Indiana and now the full game against Michigan. This team isn’t bad defensively, rather, they just seem to lose control on that end of the court. Michigan went over 50 percent from inside and outside the arc. They could not miss. Yes, this is likely a hotter than usual night for the Wolverines, but the defense is still concerning.

What also went wrong for Wisconsin: Wisconsin needs to attack the paint more – It seems unacceptable that Wisconsin is starting two big men that are over 6’10, and they had one free throw attempt in the first half. Wisconsin had a total of six all game. This team needs to attack the glass more. Create more opportunities for the refs to blow their whistle (You know they love to). That can do a couple of things. One, it can give you extra points. Two, it can slow down a hot offense. Wisconsin ignoring the free throw line has been a problem in a lot of Greg Gard losses.

Player of the Game: Franz Wagner
Honorable Mention: Isaiah Livers – Not sure what’s more surprising with Michigan’s team. That there is another Wagner or that Livers is still in school. The latter is a Van Wilder nominee.

Next up: Things don’t get easier for Wisconsin as they head to New Jersey to take on Rutgers. The Scarlett Knights are typically pretty good at home, but they’ve been leaking oil of late losing three straight games. This could be an opportune time for Wisconsin to strike, although, they could be facing a desperate Scarlett Knights team. Either way, it should be a good one on Friday night at the place Tony Soprano built.

Charlie.