John Blackwell and Carter Gilmore high five in a game against Washington

Nolan Kromke

Men's Basketball February 28, 2025 Jake Ross

Starting Five: Badgers travel to Michigan State

Wisconsin faces test in huge conference matchup

MADISON, Wis. — The No. 11 Wisconsin men’s basketball team will start the month of March with a road contest against No. 8 Michigan State on Sunday. The game is a top-three conference matchup, and carries heavy seeding implications with just three games left in the season.

Tip at the Breslin Center is set for 12:30 p.m. (CT) on CBS. Fans can also listen to the action on the Badger Sports Network.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:

John Tonje fades away for a tough three against Washington

John Tonje (9) scored 13 points against Washington

1. LAST TIME OUT

Wisconsin shined in a 88-62 win over Washington on Tuesday, the program's first ever win against the Huskies. The Badgers continually built up their lead in the game, outscoring Washington by double-digits in both halves of the game. The win concluded a successful February for the Badgers, finishing 6-1 on the month with an average margin of victory of 14.3 points.

Four players reached double-figures. John Blackwell had one of his most notable performances on the year, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds. John Tonje scored 13 points and collected five boards. Steven Crowl added 12 points and dished out four assists. Xavier Amos scored 12 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field.

Wisconsin excelled at controlling the ball and finding open players, finishing with 15 assists to just five turnovers. The game was another dominant conference victory for UW, who sport the third highest point differential in the league. It was the team’s fifth 20+ point conference victory of the season - matching the most ever in program history.

Still thinking about JB getting his first double-double on Tuesday night pic.twitter.com/Kz8emL1mIJ
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 27, 2025

2. SEEING DOUBLE

John Blackwell added to his impressive list of accomplishments on Tuesday, securing his first career double-double. Blackwell went 9-for-16 from the field for 24 points, and collected a career-high 10 rebounds in the win over Washington.

The sophomore turned a close game into a double-digit lead for Wisconsin. Blackwell entered his bag late in the first half, scoring 13-of-15 Badger points in a seven minute stretch - increasing the Badgers lead from five to 13. He finished with a mammoth 19 points in the first half of play.

Blackwell’s rebounding prowess is notable for his size and position. He’s the only Big Ten player listed at 6-4 or shorter to record a 24 point 10 rebound game this season, and he’s the only Wisconsin player to do so in the last twenty years. JB’s ability to score and clean up the glass has been present all season long for Wisconsin. He’s just one of two power-conference players 6-4 or shorter to average 15.0 points and 5.0 rebounds

3. THE BENCH CONNECTION

While starters like Blackwell shined against Washington, it was the cohesive play of Wisconsin’s bench that allowed the Badgers to keep building their lead. The second unit combined for 33 points, 28 of them coming from Xavier Amos, Kamari McGee, and Jack Janicki. That trio, along with Carter Gilmore, each played over 15 minutes in the game.

Amos had one of his best games on the season. The shooting was on-point for the junior, finishing 3-for-4 from 3-point range - good for 12 points. Jack Janicki continues to wreak havoc on the defensive end, picking off multiple passes in the game, and scoring eight points of his own. Kamari McGee brought his usual energy off the bench, scoring six points and drawing a charge in a three-minute stretch.

The Badger’s 33 bench points are the most the team has put up this season. Wisconsin has successfully worked a steady nine-player rotation for the year. Gilmore, Amos, McGee, and Janicki have played in all 28 games this season, and each average over 10.0 minutes played per game. They’ve all stepped up at different points throughout the season, with each of them having multiple double-digit scoring performances.

Wisconsin Badgers during a Big Ten Conference NCAA college men’s basketball game against the Michigan State Spartans, Friday, Jan. 26, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (Photo by David Stluka/UW Athletic Communications)

Michigan State's Tre Holloman (5) guards John Blackwell in last season's home matchup

4. SPARTAN SCOUTING

Michigan State currently sits at the top of the Big Ten standings with a 14-3 conference record, and a 23-5 record overall. The team is riding a four-game win streak, beating Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, and most recently Maryland on a half-court buzzer beater.

Michigan State is headed by Tom Izzo in his 30th season with the team. Izzo is the conference’s all-time wins leader, having taken Michigan State to 26 NCAA Tournaments. This season, he’s constructed one of the league’s best defenses. MSU gives up just 66.8 points per game, ranks within the top-20 in rebounds nationally, and allows teams to shoot just 28.8% from 3.

Michigan State sports a deep roster not reliant on star players. Ten players on the team play over 14.0 minutes per game, with each of them averaging 5.0+ points per game. Two of the team's top players have played the majority of their games off the bench. Freshman Jase Richardson averages 11.0 points per game, and who’s six starts in the season have all come in the last six games for the Spartans. Sophomore Coen Carr is another bench player with key contributions, averaging 7.9 points per game in just 20.1 minutes per game. Senior guard Jaden Akins leads the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game.

Steven Crowl shoots the floater against Michigan State in 2023-24

Steven Crowl (22) averaged 16.5 points per game against MSU last season

5. SERIES HISTORY

The two teams have faced off 156 times in the past, with Michigan State leading the all-time series 86-69 - including a 50-17 edge in games played at East Lansing. Tides have turned for Wisconsin in recent years however, having won the last three games played at the Breslin Center, and five of the most eight recent games overall.

Wisconsin faced Michigan State twice last season, sweeping the series. The Badgers played in East Lansing in the first conference game of the 2023-24 season, where UW won, 70-57. Freshman John Blackwell welcomed himself into the Big Ten with a 10 point, four rebound performance in 20 minutes of play - his first double-digit scoring performance against a Big Ten team. Wisconsin faced MSU later in January as well, putting on a dominant, 81-66, showing at the Kohl Center. It was the team’s highest margin of victory over the Spartans since 2011.

Steven Crowl had a great performance in each of the Badger’s wins last season. Scoring 18 and 15 points in the first and second game, respectively. In six games against MSU in his career, Crowl is averaging 12.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game, while shooting 55.4% from the field and 53.3% from 3-point range.

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