The Badgers await.
After knocking off Michigan State 77-74 in the first Big Ten semifinal of the day, Wisconsin advances to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the second year in a row. Last year, the Badgers fell to Illinois; this year, they will have a new opponent as they now wait for the winner of Michigan and Maryland, which is on course to be a thriller as well.
Here's how the bracket looks with just one space to be filled.
Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament Update
Wisconsin looks like a threat in March
After two straight losses to kick off Big Ten play this season, Wisconsin went 13-5 the rest of the way and now has a chance to claim a Big Ten tourney title. That's impressive.
Star guard John Tonje has been sublime in Wisconsin's tournament run, and his 32 points today were all needed in the Badgers' three-point win. Hooper.
ESPN has Wisconsin as a No. 3 seed right now, and I don't think there's a world where they fall to a No. 4, and there likely isn't a world where they leap to a No. 2. I'm confident in Wisconsin on that line — the only question remaining is if they do it with a Big Ten Tournament title or not.
Badgers wait for either Michigan or Maryland in Big Ten Tournament title
And neither one will be a cakewalk. Wisconsin lost to both of these teams this season — 67-64 to Michigan, and 76-68 to Maryland — so I'm not sure they'll have a choice of one or the other.
If they want the team that's struggled more recently, then maybe Badgers fans cheer for Michigan, which lost three straight games to end the regular season, and barely beat Rutgers and Nebraska before that. Either way, they'll be playing a team coming off two pressure wins, and either way, it'll be good hoops.