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Wisconsin appears more than ready for No. 1 Ohio State

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Wisconsin’s ready for Ohio State. Question is, can an offense stay hot during a five-day layoff?

The Badgers posted downright silly numbers during an 82-59 win against reeling Michigan State. Of note:


  • They needed just 39 field-goal attempts to score 82 points and boasted 1.54 points per possession and an eFG% of 73.1. Those are numbers you’d see against the likes of Jackson State, not the Spartans.
  • Jordan Taylor and Jon Leuer combined for 50 points, most of which were contested shots. To say they heated up would be an understatement.
  • Wisconsin had just eight turnovers, which is actually bad for the Badgers. But good for anyone else.
  • As an added bonus, Wisconsin hit 25 of 26 free throws. (whistles)

“You say ‘Man, where’s the defense?’ or ‘Where’s the effort on defense?’” asked Michigan State’s Draymond Green afterward. “But all the shots were contested. ... Some of the shots they hit, it was just unbelievable.”

As Matt Norlander and Ken Pomeroy both note, that’s not far off from what the Badgers have done all season, but should provide plenty of fodder for a nationally televised showdown against the No. 1 Buckeyes, who improved to 24-0 with a win at Minnesota.

So, again. The question: Can Wisconsin do it again on Saturday? Coach Bo Ryan knows better than to expect the same.

“Let’s be honest. I don’t know if you want to rely on a couple of those shots that we made all of the time,” Ryan said.

Me? I think it’ll be an interesting test of hot home team meets conference rival that’s passed every test thus far this season. And in college hoops, I side with the home team.

Want more? I’m also on Twitter @MikeMillerNBC.