Beyond the Box Score: Wisconsin 60, Michigan State 58

After the rough stretch we’ve had, Sunday was a much needed win.

Looking at the latest Bracketology predictions it now gives the Badgers five wins against teams projected to be five seeds or higher (Florida, Michigan St, Virginia, St. Louis, and Iowa). Finish the season off decently, and the rough stretch will be hidden nicely.

Let’s jump into the box score.

  • Ben Brust and Gary Harris went a combined 1-15 from beyond the arc. Like Andy mentioned yesterday, Brust’s three came at a great time, but those are numbers you wouldn’t expect to see.
  • Nigel Hayes went 8-12 from the free throw line. Not only is this a percentage we can live with, he’s getting to the line at a ridiculous clip. If he can knock down 70 percent of his free throws, very rarely will he be held to under ten points.
  • Traevon Jackson had eight of the Badgers’ ten assists. Yeah, he turned the ball over five times, but that was one less assist than the entire Spartan team.
  • Wisconsin turned the ball over 14 times. This is a lot for the Badgers, but Michigan State has a great defense. It’s nice to win even when giving up 12 fast break points (many of which were due to turnovers).
  • Duje Dukan only played four minutes. Again, Bo is showing that he is basically running a seven man rotation. Barring injuries or foul trouble this could be manageable, but it’s still quite the risk.

With Minnesota coming in on Thursday, it’s a good chance for the Badgers to knock off another NCAA tournament team while also getting revenge against a rival.

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