Iowa makes early exit in Big Ten tournament

The Badgers (24-8) slowed Indiana’s offensive machine to a halt.

Five players are averaging at least 9.2 points per game for IN, they are: James Blackmon Jr. “[We] basically needed to win tonight, but we’re hoping [the selection committee] gives us the opportunity”.

There’s also some confidence to be gained in potentially exorcising some demons for the Hoosiers by beating the Badgers. Wisconsin has now won 16 of 18 matchups against IN during Crean’s nine years IN Bloomington.

They came up cold again Thursday and watched their already tenuous NCAA hopes slip slide away in the final 15 minutes of an embarrassingly lopsided 95-73 loss to 10th-seeded in in their opening game of the conference tournament at the Verizon Center. “When you look at our résumé, we have good wins against ranked teams on the road and ranked teams at home”.

“We were pretty locked in when they made their first run in the first half”, said freshman Jordan Bohannon, who tied Iowa Big Ten Tournament records with six 3-pointers and 10 assists. Don’t let that dissuade you from ranting and analyzing the massive failings of the Hawkeyes in this game; just bear in mind that there’s bound to be more basketball left to be played this year and the future remains bright. I was just letting the game come to me. “I know we got into the paint quite a bit”. Wisconsin has shot over 45% from three-point range in its last two games and Happ has reemerged down low with an average of 13 points per game and 12.5 rebounds. (17.0), Johnson (13.3), Thomas Bryant (12.9), OG Anunoby (11.1) and Josh Newkirk (9.2). The two combined for just one field goal in 10 attempts and just four total points. I just got a question asked in the locker room about, have I said anything to him about March. “I got two early (fouls)”. “They didn’t feel me as much as Iowa did (Thursday) so what happened on the defensive end was all on me”. We have to take care of the basketball against their press, whether we’re attacking it or breaking it.

Even with the struggles inside, the Hoosiers were in the game until the final minutes.

No. 2 seed Wisconsin (24-8) dropped 5 of 6 games down the stretch but has won two in a row, including its conference tournament opener against 10th-seeded in (18-15), which scored so easily a night earlier while beating Iowa. “I’ll stick by him each day throughout anything”. If Crean is gone, who’s the next head coach?

“You don’t know how to coach!” They had gone on a four-game conference winning streak to play themselves into NCAA bubble conversations, something nobody dreamed of a month ago.

“Since we’ve been here, we’ve played well, we’ve not played so well”, McCaffery said. The last time a Big Ten program won the championship came in 2014 when Minnesota defeated SMU. Doing that would be a secondary benefit this season, as getting to Sunday and winning would ensure a NCAA Tournament berth, and likely the status quo going forward in Bloomington.