1. LAST TIME OUT

Wisconsin came out on top of a battle against Ohio State, winning 70-68. The game came down to free throws, where Wisconsin went 12-for-14 in the second half. With just 1.6 seconds on the clock, the Badgers defense forced Ohio State out-of-bounds, taking away any chance of a game-tying shot.

John Tonje led the team with 17 points, going 10-for-10 from the free throw line. John Blackwell scored 15 points and collected six rebounds. Steven Crowl scored in double-digits for the sixth straight game, putting up 14 points with seven rebounds.

Ohio State came back into the game after the Badgers built a 17-point lead at half-time. UW’s defense held the Buckeyes to just 20 points in the first half - tied for the lowest any opponent has scored in the first half all season. Ohio State shot just 5-for-22 from 3-point range in the game, the 14th time Wisconsin has held its opponent to less than 10 3-point makes.

2. 200 WINS FOR GARD

Wisconsin’s latest victory was a special one for head coach Greg Gard, the 200th of his career. Gard took over head coaching duties in the middle of the 2015-16, and has accumulated a 200-110 (.645) career record since then. Wisconsin has the fourth most Big Ten wins of any school in the conference since Gard’s first full season in 2016-17.

Coach Gard is the fourth Badger to accumulate 200 wins, joining Walter Meanwell, Bud Foster, and Bo Ryan, all of whom are in the Naismith Hall of Fame. It took Gard 310 games to reach 200 wins, only Meanwell (260 games) and Ryan (275 games) reached the mark faster.

Gard has been honored as the Big Ten Coach of the Year twice, in 2019-20 and 2021-22. He;s taken the Badgers to the NCAA Tournament six times, and has won the conference twice. Gard has led the Badgers to a 14-3 start with a 4-2 mark in conference play this season.

3. TONJE IN THE CLUTCH

John Tonje once again impressed Badger fans, scoring 17 points with a couple of highlight dunks along the way. Tonje scored 11 points in the second half of the game, continuing a recent trend of turning his play up when the Badgers needed it the most. Over the last three games, Tonje is averaging 11.7 points in the second half. In that stretch, the grad is 10-for-17 from the field and 13-for-14 from the free line after intermission. 

Against Ohio State, down one point with seven seconds remaining, Tonje hit two free throws to put the Badgers up three. Against Minnesota, Tonje scored eight points during a 13-3 second half scoring run that separated the Badgers from the Golden Gophers. Late against Rutgers, Tonje hit a huge 3-pointer to shut down a Scarlet Knight comeback, and give the Badgers a two-possession lead.

A big part of Tonje’s clutch factor has been his ability to convert from the free throw line. Tonje had his fourth 10+ free throw game for the Badgers last Tuesday, the most in any Wisconsin season since 2004-05. He ranks first in the Big Ten in free throw makes, and second overall in the country.

4. UNDERSTANDING USC

UW’s next Big Ten battle comes against the USC Trojans, sporting a 10-6 on the season. After starting off with just a 1-3 mark in conference play, the Trojans have rebounded with back-to-back 10-point victories against Illinois and Iowa. The team has an efficient offense, currently 39th in the nation with a 48.4% shooting mark from the field. 

Head Coach Eric Musselman is in his first season with the team. Musselman comes from a five-year coaching stint at Arkansas, where he brought the Razorbacks to the NCAA tournament in three seasons. He’s found success coaching a USC squad made up of transfers and young talent.

Xavier transfer, Desmond Claude, leads the team in points (16.4) and assists per game (4.2). Boise State transfer, Chibuzo Agbo, averages 12.8 points per game with a 39.2% mark from 3-point range. Northern Colorado transfer, Saint Thomas, brings an all around boost to the team averaging 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game.

5. SERIES HISTORY

Wisconsin plays USC for the first time since the Trojans joined the Big Ten along with UCLA, Washington and Oregon. The two teams faced off four times previously in non-conference matchups, with the all time series tied, 2-2. 

Since 1983, the Badgers and Trojans have faced off just once, during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in 2022. The Badgers took that matchup, 64-59. Steven Crowl, Max Klesmit, Carter Gilmore, and Markus Ilver all made appearances in the game, with Crowl putting up eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

The Badgers have played USC twice in Los Angeles. Once in 1948 and the other in 1982. Wisconsin dropped both matchups. All four matchups between the two teams have been close, with each game being decided by an average scoring margin of 6.3 points.