The Wisconsin Badgers are heading to Indianapolis this week to play in the Big Ten Tournament, with their first game set for Thursday at approximately 1:30 p.m. central.
They’ll take on the winner of the Northwestern Wildcats and the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the No. 12 vs. No. 13 game in the second round, with the winner getting a matchup with the No. 4 UCLA Bruins on Friday.
Wisconsin had been a top-four seed for much of the last few months, but slipped over the past few weeks, losing three of their last five games, which cost them a chance at a double-bye.
Now, they must win four straight games to get a conference championship, and that path won’t come easy.
But, when healthy, the Badgers are one of the top teams in the conference, and they will return Max Klesmit for Thursday’s game, with no restrictions expected for the senior guard.
So, what are Wisconsin’s chances to go on a run and win the Big Ten Tournament?
In our weekly national reacts poll, the results weren’t pretty. Wisconsin was seen as the fifth-best chance to win the tournament, with only six percent of fans voting for them.
The Michigan State Spartans were the overwhelming favorites at 50 percent, while the Maryland Terrapins, Purdue Boilermakers, and UCLA Bruins followed ahead of the Badgers.
FanDuel Sportsbook seems to differ, projecting the Badgers with the third-highest odds at +600 to win the tournament behind only the Spartans (+250 odds) and the Terrapins (+370 odds).
Once again, it all comes down to health, where the Badgers seem to be at full strength heading into the tournament.
That should help with Wisconsin’s recent woes, as they’ve really struggled from three over their last five games, while waning at time defensively on the ball.
The return of Max Klesmit should help, but a deep run in the tournament will be tough, as potential matchups against UCLA and Michigan State prior to the Big Ten Championship.
