Wisconsin vs Michigan Basketball Recap

Wisconsin 62, Michigan 44

In a season when the NCAA Tournament bubble is very large, Wisconsin and Michigan - on opposite sides of the spectrum - stand as blessed exceptions to the rule. The ascendant Badgers and the washed-up Wolverines will make life a little bit easier for the men who will pore over mounds of information in the coming weeks.

If anyone thought Wisconsin would have a letdown after its victory over Big Ten-leading Michigan State, those folks thought wrong. Coach Bo Ryan's roster remained relentless and resourceful on the road in Ann Arbor, Mich., while John Beilein's Michigan men meekly faded away in the midst of a season that's turned into a total train wreck. It's not hard to assess these two teams after the visitors from Madison registered an 18-point win at Crisler Arena.

For one thing, Wisconsin demonstrates offensive efficiency. When teams hit 11 of 21 3-pointers the way the Badgers did on Saturday afternoon, they figure to register a huge point total. For Wisconsin, the calculus is a little different. UW tallied only 62 points, but because the guys in red jerseys play patient slow-down basketball, their foremost point of emphasis is to score on a high percentage of possessions. In this game, the Badgers shot the ball only 41 times, but averaged roughly 1.5 points per attempt, a good ratio and a sign of pronounced intelligence.

But that basketball IQ wasn't shared by the Maize-clad lineup the Badgers dusted off this day.

Michigan's offense has been nonexistent in 2010, but the Wolverines have especially wilted when greeted by Wisconsin's withering defensive pressure.

In the first meeting between these clubs, Michigan managed just 48 points, so after this failure-filled 44-point outing on home hardwood, it's even more apparent that the Wolverines just can't figure out a top-shelf defense. Aside from forward DeShawn Sims (18 points on 8-of-15 shooting), UM hit just nine field goals and scored just 26 points. With guard Manny Harris - one of the better scorers in the Big Ten - struggling to a mediocre 11-point performance on 4-of-11 shooting, the home team was essentially reduced to a one-man show. That was no match for the versatile Badgers, who had four players score nine points or more and also locked down on the boards. UW crushed Michigan on the glass, 28-16, and limited the Wolverines to just three offensive rebounds. As clinical as the Badgers proved to be, Michigan was just as anemic on the other side of the divide.

Wisconsin - overachieving and believing - is still in the running for the Big Ten title. Michigan - underachieving and tanking - is under .500 one year after making the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The first scenario isn't too surprising, but the second (sad) story is something Big Ten basketball watchers couldn't have expected back in mid-November.

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