The Wisconsin Badgers are on a roll in the Big Ten and against Michigan State. The team is looking to earn their second straight conference tournament championship game berth, but will have to face off against the Spartans in order to do so. The game marks the third appearance in the semifinals for the Badgers after they beat Minnesota on Friday for their ninth win in 10 games. Can they continue the success against the Spartans.
Wisconsin put together a strong defensive effort against Minnesota. The held the Gophers to 32.8 percent shooting while Ben Brust scored a career-high 29 points, including four 3-pointers. This was an improvement after their game against Nebraska where the Cornhuskers shot 52.0 percent in their previous game.
Michigan State has the recent success over Wisconsin, but the Badgers have the overall series record. The Spartans have won the past eight of 11 games against the team. Bo Ryan has led a turnaround for Wisconsin as the Badgers are 14-11 overall since his tenure. Ryan has never finished worse than fourth in the conference and their recent success could help the Badgers earn a a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament if they can get to the championship game.
Michigan State is making their fourth semifinal appearance after beating Northwestern on Friday. The win broke a struggling streak for the Spartans after the team lost three of their last four regular season games. The Spartans are finally getting some consistency in their lineup after injuries took their toll on the starters throughout the season. The school lost the grip on their No. 2 preseason ranking, but after finally getting players like Keith Appling and Adreian Payne back, the Spartans are ready to make a run to the big dance.
Wisconsin got the regular season win over Michigan State, Both teams are poised to make the NCAA tournament regardless of this game, but a No. 1 seed is on the line for Wisconsin.
