Our Clients:

Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM

Mar 16, 2025 5:14 am

No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 22 Michigan surprise contenders for Big Ten title

Michigan Wolverines

On the first day of the Big Ten schedule — way back on Dec. 3 — Danny Wolf and Michigan barged into Wisconsin and handed the Badgers their first loss of the season.

On the last day of the Big Ten schedule — 103 days later — John Tonje and the Badgers finally have their chance to get even.

After avenging regular-season losses to UCLA and Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, No. 18 Wisconsin (26-8) plays No. 22 Michigan (24-9) for the championship Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.

“It’s a great opportunity to get our revenge and the championship,” said Wisconsin sophomore John Blackwell.

The fifth-seeded Badgers are seeking their fourth Big Ten tournament crown while the third-seeded Wolverines are going for their third after their 1998 title was vacated by the NCAA.

Wisconsin had a chance to get that fourth title last year as the No. 5 seed, but fell 93-87 to second-seeded Illinois.

“We know how it feels to get to this point,” said Blackwell, one of three returnees from the Badgers’ top six players last year. “Now we’ve just got to finish the job.”

When leading scorer AJ Storr opted to leave for Kansas and three-year starting point guard Chucky Hepburn left for Louisville, the Badgers weren’t a hot pick to get anywhere near another chance to win this tournament.

Then again, nobody knew what graduate transfer Tonje brought to the table. The sixth-year wing, who missed almost all of last year at Missouri with a foot injury, stepped into the spotlight with a career-high 41 points Nov. 15 against Arizona.

Against Michigan State on Saturday — one day before Associated Press voters submit their All-American ballots — Tonje made the perfect final pitch for first-team All-American votes by drilling the Spartans for 32 points. He also stripped Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. of the ball when he was trying to tie the game with a 35-foot runner just before the final buzzer.

“It doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks about you,” Tonje said. “As long as you believe in yourself and put the work in, you can essentially do whatever you would like to do.”

Tonje was talking about himself, but his words fit perfectly for the Badgers.

“Obviously, the credit goes to our players,” said Wisconsin coach Greg Gard. “Because they’ve bought in from Day 1. I haven’t had any pushback, any resistance, any ego. They’ve been an absolute joy to coach because they’re so selfless and they want to play for what’s on front of the jersey.”

Nearly everybody in a Michigan jersey was playing for somebody else last year. But new coach Dusty May has blended this mostly new group and taken the Wolverines from last in the Big Ten nearly to the top.

On Saturday, it was former Auburn point guard Tre Donaldson going coast-to-coast in the final five seconds to bank in the game-winning lefty layup over the outstretched hands of Maryland big men Derik Queen and Julian Reese.

Way back on Dec. 3, it was 7-footers Wolf and first-team All-Big Ten center Vlad Goldin combining for 44 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks to beat Wisconsin.

“I think when we all got to campus 10 months ago, we knew exactly what we could do and what we could be,” said Wolf, who led Yale to the NCAA Tournament second round last season. “We have a lot of guys who are coming from winning programs. I know Tre won the SEC championship. Vlad’s been to a Final Four (with May as his coach at Florida Atlantic). And other guys in the locker room (are winners too).

“You need everyone to win a championship. We got one more tomorrow to do what we want to do — and we need everyone to step up again.”

–Field Level Media

You may also like

Malik Monk
Mar 16, 2025 8:10 pm

Slumping Kings look to regroup vs. Grizzlies

Time is of the essence for the Sacramento Kings, whose tenuous grasp on a spot in the play-in tournament weakened over the past week. Sacramento (33-33) has lost four straight…

florida clayton
Mar 16, 2025 8:08 pm

Top 25 roundup: Florida takes down Tennessee to win SEC

Walter Clayton Jr. scored 22 points and No. 4 Florida outclassed No. 8 Tennessee 86-77 on Sunday to win the Southeastern Conference tournament title at Nashville. Will Richard added 17…

auburn tigers
Mar 16, 2025 7:54 pm

Madness begins: Auburn lands No. 1 overall seed over Duke

The 2025 NCAA Tournament drama started the moment CBS revealed the first team on Selection Sunday. Despite losing three of its last four games, Auburn was rewarded with the No….

More Basketball News

Malik Monk
Mar 16, 2025 8:10 pm

Slumping Kings look to regroup vs. Grizzlies

Time is of the essence for the Sacramento Kings, whose tenuous grasp on a spot in the play-in tournament weakened over the past week. Sacramento (33-33) has lost four straight…

florida clayton
Mar 16, 2025 8:08 pm

Top 25 roundup: Florida takes down Tennessee to win SEC

auburn tigers
Mar 16, 2025 7:54 pm

Madness begins: Auburn lands No. 1 overall seed over Duke

jimmy butler
Mar 16, 2025 7:24 pm

Sizzling Warriors look to take down Nuggets, Nikola Jokic

Drake
Mar 16, 2025 7:01 pm

Akron, Drake, Grand Canyon top NCAA Tournament Cinderella candidates

Read all
fb-post
advertisment
title-icon

Upcoming events

See all odds