So at 3:57, he picked up an offensive foul, which was his second of the half. That was the last time he saw the court in the first frame. Even worse, Wisconsin sophomore guard John Blackwell (who has averaged 20.3 points per game over the previous seven games) had been sitting with two fouls since 9:06, scoreless.
Michigan may be the toughest team in the Big Ten, and a bruising series could help the Badgers is they try to grind their way into the playoffs.
Wisconsin’s preseason outlook, remember, was a 12th-place finish in the new 18-team Big Ten. The Badgers have already proven that outlook wrong with a 15-4 (5-3 Big Ten) start to the season and a No. 18 ranking in the current AP Poll. Predictive metrics back that up — Wisconsin ranks No. 22 in KenPom and No. 26 in the ESPN BPI.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard discussed the matchup against Essegian when meeting with the media on Friday, specifically what he’s seen from the former Badger at his new destination:
University of Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard earned a milestone victory as the Badgers avoided a disastrous second-half collapse to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes 70-68 on Jan. 14. The Badgers started strong and took a 17-point lead into halftime.
Maryland's big second-half run began with a 3-pointer from an unlikely source. DeShawn Harris-Smith, who was just 4 for 22 from long distance on the season, scored from beyond the arc with the Terrapins down five.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard shared how the Badgers can avoid their recent struggles in the month of February.
Badgers coach Greg Gard talked about the how his team handled the foul trouble that hit John Blackwell and John Tonje in the first half Wednesday.
The Badgers travel to XFINITY Center to face the Maryland Terrapins, who have won four of their last five games.
Expectations were low for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team heading into the 2024-25 season. After losing AJ Storr, Chucky Hepburn and Connor Essegian to the transfer portal and Tyler Wahl to graduation,
"For him to only be a sophomore right now is unbelievable," Wisconsin assistant coach Sharif Chambliss said. "He's been a joy to coach."