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 The Badgers, slotted as a No. 2 in most projections for the Big
Dance, were looking for a resume-building win over the 23rd-ranked
Ohio State Buckeyes to enhance their chances for a top seed, and
they did just that.
Wisconsin (28-3, 16-2) dominated Ohio State (22-9, 11-6), pulling
away for a convincing 72-48 win in Value City Arena and dealing
Buckeyes coach Thad Matta his first home loss in March in 11 years
at the school.
Badgers coach Bo Ryan wasn't sure whether the rout elevated his
team's stock going into the Big Ten Tournament. He doesn't pay
attention to bracketology.
"I don't know (about seeds)," Ryan said. "I know Johnny Appleseed. I
don't know about a one seed. I don't know about the seeds. I never
look at that. We always turn the channel at home when they start
talking about seeds."
Senior forward Frank Kaminsky asserted himself in the second half
after a slow start and scored 20 points to lead the Badgers. The
national player of the year candidate made 9 of 13 shots from the
field and collected five rebounds and three assists.
"It's kind of a statement game for us going into the Big Ten
tournament, beating a good team on their home floor," Kaminsky said.
"We're really excited about what's next."
Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig scored eight straight points after
Ohio State had closed to seven points at 46-39 with 12:59 remaining
to restore the Badgers' double-digit lead. From there, the Badgers
increased their margin to as much as 25 points with 6:31 left on a
layup by Koenig and starting sending Ohio State fans to the exits.
The Badgers shot 50 percent from the field (31 of 62) and pressured
the Buckeyes into 34 percent shooting (13 of 53). Wisconsin also
controlled the glass with a 41-27 rebounding advantage.
"They made some big-time plays. We just weren't able to sustain what
we needed to in terms of offense," Matta said. "We had some great
looks and they just wouldn't fall for us. They sort of took it to
another level with their execution."
Koenig finished with 15 points and was 3 of 5 from 3-point range,
making two from beyond the arc when he answered Ohio State's
second-half run. Forward Sam Dekker added 10 points and eight
rebounds for the Badgers.
"Bronson stepped up and made some big shots for us," Kaminsky said.
Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell, one of the front-runners for
national freshman of the year, scored a team-leading 17 points but
was 7 of 18 from the field, including 1 of 7 from 3-point range, and
had five turnovers while being guarded by Wisconsin guard Josh
Gasser.
"I give a lot of credit to them," Russell said. "We had a bad day,
and they had a lot to do with that. I thought we were prepared as a
unit, but unfortunately we came up short. We missed shots, and
missed defensive assignments, and it all added up at the end."
Fellow freshman JaeSean Tate, a 6-foot-4 forward, scored 12 points
and guarded the 7-foot Kaminsky for the majority of the game.
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The Badgers are the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which
begins Wednesday in Chicago.
"We treated this game like it was a postseason game," said Wisconsin
forward Nigel Hayes, who had eight points and eight rebounds.
"Usually, when we're up on a team we let them come back and we
stopped that."
Wisconsin took control early, forcing the Buckeyes to miss 12 of
their first 15 shots from field and the Badgers opened a 28-12 lead
with 8:29 left in the first half.
Wisconsin's lead never slipped below 11 points during the remainder
of the half and the Badgers took a 37-23 lead into intermission.
"They're fighting for a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament, so
they weren't going to come in here and lay down for us," Ohio State
guard Shannon Scott said. "We understood that from the beginning,
but we wanted to come in and play our best basketball tonight, and
that didn't happen."
Ohio State was locked into the No. 6 seed for the Big Ten Tournament
regardless of Sunday's outcome. The Buckeyes will play the winner of
a first-round game between the No. 11 seed yet to be determined and
Rutgers on Thursday.
NOTES: Wisconsin's outright Big Ten title is its first since 2008
and the fourth under coach Bo Ryan. ... Wisconsin PG Traevon Jackson
remained out after undergoing foot surgery on Jan. 15. It is still
undetermined whether he will return for the Big Ten Tournament this
week in Chicago. Jackson, who has started 84 consecutive games
before the injury, is the son of former Ohio State All-American Jim
Jackson. ... In 15 years as a head coach, Ohio State's Thad Matta
guided each of his teams to 20 wins or more, including all 11
seasons with the Buckeyes. ... Ohio State seniors Shannon Scott, Sam
Thompson, Amir Williams and Trey McDonald have won 107 games during
their careers. All four played their final home game Sunday.
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