A trio of takeaways from the poor showing versus Michigan State at the Kohl Center.
MADISON — In a top-15 matchup at the Kohl Center to finish first in the Big Ten, the Wisconsin Badgers were unable to achieve anything in their 86 to 74 loss to Michigan State on Friday night.
Three things that stood out:
No. 1: Front Court
Shortly before the game, it was shared that the Badgers would be without moving Tyler Wahl against Michigan State due to an ankle injury. Wahl was one of Wisconsin's top players throughout the season, and especially during his seven-game winning streak. In his absence, the Badgers added Ben Carlson to the starting lineup against a much deeper and experienced Michigan State Front Court.
Neither Carlson nor backup Carter Gilmore was a match for Michigan State's front line, as the Spartans were able to score at will inside the Badgers for the bulk of the game, and dominated the rebounding department.
Michigan State finished the game +8 in points from the paint, on +19 boards, and combined for 26 points ahead of them. Michigan State's guards were also able to attack the rim against Wisconsin's inexperience and finish inside.
The game further demonstrated the importance of Wahl's presence in the lineup. The junior forward does little (and big) things for the team at both ends of the court, and the bench behind him was unprepared to work against the Michigan State forward. Wahl scored in double digits during six of the last seven games for the Badgers, and outside Steven Crowl, the rest of the Wisconsin forward combined for only six points. Carlsen played a little better late in the game, but on the whole, Wahl missed out badly.
Hopefully, Wahl's ankle will get better soon as the team clearly could have used him against the Michigan States attack. He is such an integral part of the team, and it will be interesting to see how these two teams match up in early February, when Wahl is expected to be available.
Greg Gard on not having Tyler Wahl tonight pic.twitter.com/B1LIbhwnBM
— Matt Belz (@savedbythebelz) January 22, 2022
No. 2: Ice Cold First Half + Bench Point
Wisconsin struggled to score for the first 20 minutes against Michigan State. The Badgers went out of sync throughout the first half without a whaler. As a team, Wisconsin shot only 27% from the floor and 31% from three-point range, while Michigan State accounted for over 50% of shooting in both ranges for half.
The Badgers were much better in the second half which allowed them to rally in the middle of the half and make things interesting, but the opening hole proved too deep.
For the game, Wisconsin finished shooting with over 40% overall and 74 aggregate points out of three, enough to win most Big Ten games, but the bench in general was a no-show. While Michigan State took 43 points from its reserves, the Badgers had seven. Others needed to step up without a key player like Wahl, and that didn't happen Friday night.
Tom Izzo on the game tonight pic.twitter.com/cz4XeONsxc
— Matt Belz (@savedbythebelz) January 22, 2022
No. 3: Defense
Wisconsin played very poorly on the defensive end throughout the game. Michigan State was able to get to its position overnight with no resistance, and the Spartans were able to pay off the Badgers with some hot shooting. Michigan State was more assertive on both ends of the court, and Wisconsin was unable to string the game together to tilt the game in its favor.
Michigan State was often able to walk out in transition on Friday night, and the Badgers were unable to adjust to the way the Spartans walked. Overall, Wisconsin allowed 21 points in the transition, and placed Michigan State on the free throw line 28 times. It's hard to win in the Big Ten when you score 86 points, no matter how well you shoot. Badger will have plenty to clean up on that end of the court.
Brad Davison specifically highlighting the need for better defense moving forward for the #Badgers pic.twitter.com/ntxPu3zxth
— Matt Belz (@savedbythebelz) January 22, 2022
Next up: Wisconsin is currently scheduled to travel to Nebraska on Tuesday night. The Cornhuskers are dealing with COVID-19 issues in their athletic department, so the game is in limbo, but if that happens the game is about to air on BTN. There are reports that the game may move to Thursday afternoon, but nothing is official yet.