Bucky's 5th Quarter - 2013 Big Ten Tournament: Wisconsin Falls to Ohio State, 60-53, in Big Ten Championship GameWelcome to the unofficial online tavern of the Wisconsin Badgers. Please seat yourself.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47803/buckys-fave.png2013-03-17T18:26:00-05:00http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/rss/stream/38751412013-03-17T18:26:00-05:002013-03-17T18:26:00-05:00Ohio State Wins B1G Title Over Wisconsin, 50-43
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>In a sloppy finish to an otherwise brilliant Big Ten Tournament, Wisconsin just couldn't keep pace with Ohio State.</p> <p>CHICAGO -- Tired legs, poor shooting and sloppy play defined Sunday's Big Ten Championship. The game lacked the sharpness both Ohio State and Wisconsin displayed over a beautiful two days of basketball en route to Sunday's final.</p>
<p>Both teams battled fatigue In a back-and-forth second half. In the end, Ohio State's legs outlasted Wisconsin's. The Buckeyes rode a 9-2 run in the final 6:42 to claim their third Big Ten Tournament championship in the last four seasons.</p>
<p>"Well, I thought we had a chance to run the gauntlet, but we just didn't have quite enough in it," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "I know our guys got them to take some pretty tough shots for the most part. We tried to get them to take contested shots. Didn't get the rebounds off of some of them. We got beat physically inside a little bit, so I think that told a lot on the offensive glass."</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2338867/Gm34_WIS_OhioState.pdf">Box Score</a> | <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2338869/2012-13_Wisconsin_Cumulative_Stats.pdf">Wisconsin Cumulative Stats</a></p>
<p>This was the farthest Wisconsin has advanced in the tournament since winning the title in 2008. None of the team's active players have played all three days of the tournament, and it was apparent on the court.</p>
<p>"The more minutes you play, obviously the more physically demanding it is," Wisconsin forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz">Mike Bruesewitz</a> said.</p>
<p>Shooters struggled on both sides. Buckeyes star <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124095/deshaun-thomas">Deshaun Thomas</a> hit only six of his 19 shots from the field. Wisconsin center <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren">Jared Berggren</a> went just 1-for-4. Bruesewitz went just 2-for-8. Only two players -- Ohio State's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145881/sam-thompson">Sam Thompson</a> (4-for-6) and Wisconsin's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146510/frank-kaminsky">Frank Kaminsky</a> (2-for-2) hit over 50 percent of their field goal attempts. Both teams shot 38 percent from the field (18-for-47 for Wisconsin, 20-for-52 for Ohio State).</p>
<p>The second half was played within two points for the first 15 minutes and 30 seconds; Ohio State jumped out to the half's first two-possession lead at 45-41 with 4:30 remaining. Ohio State picked up nine rebounds on the 13 missed shots. The Buckeyes picked up two critical offensive rebounds in that stretch. With 3:11 to go in the game, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/150834/laquinton-ross">LaQuinton Ross</a> grabbed the rebound off a Deshaun Thomas missed three-pointer and made the putback attempt to give Ohio State a 47-41 lead.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a> called Ross's rebound and bucket the game's turning point.</p>
<p>"That was on me," Jackson said. "He really stepped up. They just got the extra hustle points and second-half points. We played good defense, they just got the hustle points on us."</p>
<p>Wisconsin played great initial defense all game -- Ohio State scored just 37 points on 15-of-41 shooting (36.5 percent) with nine turnovers on 54 first chances, a brutal 0.69 points per play. But Ohio State's 13 second-chance points against just four on five offensive rebounds for Wisconsin proved to be the difference.</p>
<p>"I think we played good defense. In a game like this, only 50 points scored by the winner, it's a defensive game," Wisconsin forward <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52389/ryan-evans">Ryan Evans</a> said. "They had the edge on a couple easy possessions there, a couple loose balls, and that's what got them the win."</p>
<p>Wisconsin took a nine-point lead at 24-15 with 3:22 to go in the first half, their biggest of the game, on the heels of an 18-2 (and 14-0) run. Ohio State battled back with an 8-0 run to close the half as Wisconsin went into its first big scoring drought of the game. The offense was never clicking on all cylinders, though, as the team finished with a poor 0.81 points scored per possession.</p>
<p>Wisconsin's big men struggled to make an impact all day. Berggren played just 23 minutes and scored two points with five rebounds. Evans went 3-for-9 from the field and missed his only free throw attempt, a critical front end of a one-and-one with five minutes remaining. Kaminsky made the biggest impact; he hit both of his field goal attempts for five points and dished out three assists, but his impact was limited in the second half.</p>
<p>The Badgers <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/17/4116830/wisconsin-ole-miss-ncaa-tournament-2013-march-madness-bracket-bo-ryan-marshall-henderson">earned a five-seed</a> in the NCAA Tournament bracket revealed roughly a half-hour following the game. Wisconsin will play 12-seed Ole Miss on Friday in Kansas City, Mo. Evans (11.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG) and Jackson (11.0 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.6 RPG) earned All-Big Ten Tournament honors, along with Indiana's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145499/cody-zeller">Cody Zeller</a> and Ohio State's <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124097/aaron-craft">Aaron Craft</a> and Deshaun Thomas.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/17/4116540/ohio-state-50-wisconsin-43-badgers-fall-in-big-ten-championshipJack Moore2013-03-17T16:58:34-05:002013-03-17T16:58:34-05:00NCAA Tournament 2013: Selection Sunday Open Thread
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<p>The Badgers went cold today, but their seeding for March Madness remains up in the air. Can they grab a No. 4 seed, or are they stuck at 5?</p> <p>Well, dang. Wisconsin played Ohio State on Sunday, and at several moments seemed poised to win the Big Ten Tournament championship. Alas, a brutal cold streak over the final eight minutes or so and some killer turnovers allowed the Buckeyes to pull away with a 60-53 victory.</p>
<p>Depending on who you ask, the Badgers were possibly playing for a No. 3 seed vs. the Buckeyes. Now that they've lost, do they hold onto a No. 4 seed or fall to No. 5? Twitter's already chirping (sorry) about the inevitability of Wisconsin getting the 5 seed and being pegged as the likely 5-12 upset pick. For my money -- Monopoly money only this month -- the Badgers deserved a four seed for the regular-season resume (big wins over Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan, etc.) and this weekend's surge in the conference tournament.</p>
<p>What do you guys think? The Selection Show is just about to start on CBS, so please do come follow along with us on the open thread below.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/17/4116606/wisconsin-ncaa-tournament-2013-march-madness-bracketMike Fiammetta2013-03-17T15:23:40-05:002013-03-17T15:23:40-05:00Halftime Update: Wisconsin 24, Ohio State 23
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<p>Wisconsin used a 14-0 run to stay in the game and take a one-point halftime lead in the Big Ten Tournament championship game against Ohio State.</p> <p>CHICAGO -- Behind a 14-0 run midway through the first half, the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/wisconsin-badgers" class="sbn-auto-link">Wisconsin Badgers</a> own a one-point halftime lead over Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament championship game.</p>
<p>Wisconsin shot 10-for-25 (40 percent) from the floor and received balanced scoring from the bench and the starters. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146510/frank-kaminsky" class="sbn-auto-link">Frank Kaminsky</a> leads the team with five points with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson" class="sbn-auto-link">Traevon Jackson</a>, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175145/sam-dekker" class="sbn-auto-link">Sam Dekker</a> and Ryan Evans adding four each.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124095/deshaun-thomas" class="sbn-auto-link">Deshaun Thomas</a> opened the game a cold 1-for-6 from the field but made three of his final five shots to enter the half with a game-high eight points. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124097/aaron-craft" class="sbn-auto-link">Aaron Craft</a> has four points on 2-of-4 shooting and four rebounds and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124099/lenzelle-smith-jr" class="sbn-auto-link">Lenzelle Smith Jr.</a> owns a game-high six rebounds off the bench.</p>
<p>The pace, as usual, fits Wisconsin's slow style, as both teams have used just 25 possessions at the half. Wisconsin has scored 0.94 points per possession with Ohio State at 0.90. Both teams have scored at least one point per possession in their prior two games in the tournament.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/17/4116318/halftime-wisconsin-24-ohio-state-23Jack Moore2013-03-17T14:10:05-05:002013-03-17T14:10:05-05:00B1G TITLE GAME THREAD: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
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<p>The Badgers handled two talented squads in Michigan and Indiana this weekend. Do they have more magic in store for Ohio State? Our man <a href="https://twitter.com/jh_moore">Jack Moore</a> is live courtside at the United Center to bring us all the action.</p> <p></p>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Coverage</h4></td></tr></tbody></table>
<div> <p><strong>TV</strong>: CBS (Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr, Tracy Wolfson)</p> <p><strong>Radio</strong>: <a href="http://sportsaffiliates.learfieldsports.com/affiliates/wisconsin9" target="_blank">Badger Radio Network</a> (Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas)</p> <p><strong>Official Websites</strong>: <a href="http://www.uwbadgers.com/index-main.html" target="_blank">UWBadgers.com</a> | <a href="http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-baskbl/osu-m-baskbl-body.html">OhioStateBuckeyes.com</a></p> <p><strong>Game Previews</strong>: <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/17/4114718/wisconsin-ohio-state-preview-big-ten-tournament-final">Wisconsin-Ohio State Preview: Big Ten Tournament Final</a> | <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/17/4114686/wisconsin-ohio-state-big-ten-tournament-championship-game-preview-ryan-evans-deshaun-thomas">3 Keys to Beating Ohio State</a></p> <p><strong>Twitter</strong>: <a href="https://twitter.com/B5Q" target="_blank">@B5Q</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jh_moore">@jh_moore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hoopsmarinara" target="_blank">@hoopsmarinara</a></p> <p><strong>Opposing Blog</strong>: <a href="http://www.landgrantholyland.com">Land-Grant Holy Land</a></p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Point Spread</h4></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Ohio State -2</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Series and Big Ten Tournament History</h4></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><strong>All-Time</strong>: Ohio State leads, 85-67</p> <p><strong>Last Meeting</strong>: Wisconsin won, <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/2/17/3998624/wisconsin-71-ohio-state-49-badgers-crush-the-buckeyes-in-madison">71-49</a>, in Madison on Feb. 17</p> <p><strong>UW in the 2013 Big Ten Tournament:</strong> Beat Michigan, <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/15/4109542/wisconsin-michigan-final-score-recap-ryan-evans-trey-burke">68-59</a>, in quarterfinals; beat Indiana, <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/16/4113032/wisconsin-68-indiana-56-recap-result-final-score-cody-zeller-ryan-evans">68-56</a>, in semis</p> <p><strong>OSU in the 2013 Big Ten Tournament:</strong> Beat Nebraska, <a href="http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2013/3/15/4110376/ohio-state-nebraska-big-ten-tournament-final-score">71-50</a>, in quarterfinals; beat Michigan State,<a href="http://www.landgrantholyland.com/2013/3/16/4113438/ohio-state-michigan-state-final-score-big-ten-tournament-2013"> 61-58</a>, in semis</p> <table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr style="background-color: #c41e3a;"><td><h4 style="color: #ffffff;">Coaches</h4></td></tr></tbody></table> <p><strong>Wisconsin</strong>: Bo Ryan (12th year), 290-111 at UW</p> <p><strong>Ohio State:</strong> Thad Matta (9th year), 246-72 at OSU</p> </div>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/17/4114722/live-big-ten-tournament-championship-game-thread-no-4-wisconsinMike Fiammetta2013-03-17T12:38:14-05:002013-03-17T12:38:14-05:00Wisconsin-Ohio State Preview: B1G Tournament Final
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<figcaption>Jonathan Daniel</figcaption>
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<p>Selection Sunday's championship final pits two teams -- and players -- looking for redemption and momentum headed into the NCAA tournament.</p> <p>Who are these guys?</p>
<p>Is this the same Ohio State team that Wisconsin destroyed by 22 points back in mid-February? And are these Badgers actually doppelgangers of the fellows that shot 17-of-72 on 3-pointers and generally looked awful in their final three regular season games?</p>
<p>Wisconsin (23-10, 12-6 Big Ten) arrived here by having total control of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/indiana-hoosiers">Indiana Hoosiers</a>. Complete ownership over the past 12 straight meetings. When you consider that Indiana forced UW into 15 turnovers and the Badgers still won handily, it is clear that the Ohio State has a different animal on its hands this afternoon. The offense-defense balance, spearheaded by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52389/ryan-evans" class="sbn-auto-link">Ryan Evans</a>, is back -- and it gave previous top 10 opponents Michigan and Indiana fits.</p>
<p>It's been a remarkable turnaround by Wisconsin in terms of energy and defensive feistiness. The Badgers are always very solid, but never quite this good at knocking balls loose for steals and squeezing the 50/50 rebounds.</p>
<p>But some believe No. 10 Ohio State (25-7, 13-5) has the best defense in the country. Coupled with the resurgence of point guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124097/aaron-craft">Aaron Craft</a>, the Buckeyes have rattled off seven wins in a row since their 71-49 loss at the Kohl Center.</p>
<p>In Craft, the Badgers face the one player in college basketball that might embody a feisty spirit more than anyone. When you couple him with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145880/shannon-scott">Shannon Scott</a> in the backcourt, guys like <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a> will find a little less freedom to operate. And to make matters worse, Craft's new-found aggressiveness has generated four games of 14 or more points in his last six outings.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/17/4114686/wisconsin-ohio-state-big-ten-tournament-championship-game-preview-ryan-evans-deshaun-thomas" target="_blank">pointed out earlier</a>, Craft and Evans embody the turnarounds of their respective teams. For seniors Evans, Jared Berggren (who is likely to break the single-season blocked shots record for UW today), and Mike Bruesewitz, the title game is the final opportunity to bring home a Big Ten title to Madison during their career. Wisconsin has not won a title of any kind in the conference since 2008, the last time it won the tournament.</p>
<p>Wisconsin is pretty much locked into a 4-seed after a strong tournament showing in Chicago, but <a href="http://www.espnwisconsin.com/common/page.php?id=7411&is_corp=1" target="_blank">is not settling</a>. Ohio State is looking to solidify a projected 2-seed in bracketology.</p>
<h4>Projected Starting Lineups</h4>
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<td style="color: #ffffff; background-color:#C41E3A;"><b>Wisconsin</b></td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;"><b>Pos.</b></td>
<td style="color: red; background-color:gray;"><b>Ohio State</b></td>
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<td>
<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Berggren</a>, Sr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">C</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145882/amir-williams">Amir Williams</a>, So.</td>
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<tr>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz">Mike Bruesewitz</a>, Sr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">F</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124095/deshaun-thomas">Deshaun Thomas</a>, Jr.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52389/ryan-evans" class="sbn-auto-link">Ryan Evans</a>, Sr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">F</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145881/sam-thompson">Sam Thompson</a>, So.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124680/ben-brust">Ben Brust</a>, Jr.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">G</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124099/lenzelle-smith-jr">Lenzelle Smith, Jr.</a>, Jr.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a>, So.</td>
<td style="background-color:#ffe4e1;">G</td>
<td>
<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124097/aaron-craft">Aaron Craft</a>, Jr.</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p><b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.kenpom.com">KenPom</a> win probability: 48% (59-58 L) </b><i>61 possessions</i></p>
<p>---</p>
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https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/17/4114718/wisconsin-ohio-state-preview-big-ten-tournament-finalPhil Mitten2013-03-17T09:16:12-05:002013-03-17T09:16:12-05:003 Keys to Beating Ohio State
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<p>Mr. Flattop has arrived. Senior Ryan Evans is playing his best basketball of the season when it matters most.</p> <p>"<class href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52389/ryan-evans">Ryan Evans will be the reason Wisconsin advances to the Big Ten Tournament final."</class></p>
<p>If anybody had said that to me three days ago, I would have just laughed in their face. I wouldn't even need to dignify such an outlandish remark with a response. But boy, is Evans playing like a man possessed right now.</p>
<p>His game against the Hoosiers yesterday was easily the best of his career in the cardinal and white. Look at this stat line: 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four blocks. And he did that against the likes of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123694/victor-oladipo">Victor Oladipo</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99890/christian-watford">Christian Watford</a>, who shared the responsibility of defending him most of the afternoon.</p>
<p>Bo Ryan made the adjustment in the second half Friday to run the offense through Evans by giving him a post touch just about every possession. Since that adjustment, Wisconsin has gone to another level offensively. In the past 60 minutes of basketball, the Badgers are shooting 55 percent from the floor (42-for-77). Similar shooting numbers in today's championship game would certainly help Wisconsin's cause as it goes for its third win in as many days against yet another top-10 opponent.</p>
<p>This time, the Badgers draw Ohio State. These two teams split the season series, and the winner of the rubber match will be crowned Big Ten Tournament champs. The Buckeyes are rolling since they were destroyed by Wisconsin in the Kohl Center exactly a month ago. They have won seven straight games by an average of 12.86 points. If UW wants to claim its first conference tournament title since 2008, it will have to play like it has in the past three halves. Here are three keys to defeating Ohio State:</p>
<h5>Prevent <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124097/aaron-craft">Aaron Craft</a> from becoming a factor offensively</h5>
<p>The Buckeyes' point guard has suddenly emerged as a legitimate scoring option to pair with the conference's leading scorer in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124095/deshaun-thomas">Deshaun Thomas</a>. He's notched double-digits in four of his last six games, including an impressive 20-point performance on Saturday to propel OSU past Michigan State. For much of this season, Craft really struggled with his jumper, but not of late. During that six-game stretch, he's shooting 61 percent (31-for-51) from the field and boasts a 3.45 assist-to-turnover ratio. However, Buckeye faithful have seen Craft struggle against Wisconsin's rugged defensive style. He's averaging just 7.5 points per game in his six career games against the Badgers, and that assist-to-turnover ratio dipped to 1.91 in those contests. If <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson">Traevon Jackson</a> can fluster Ohio State's floor leader into poor shot selection and a few turnovers, then UW should win today's final in the United Center.</p>
<h5>Take care of the basketball</h5>
<p>Head coach Thad Matta has gone to his two-point guard lineup more often during the Buckeyes' current seven-game winning streak, and it's worked mostly because of the havoc created by Craft and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145880/shannon-scott">Shannon Scott</a> on the defensive end. During this stretch, OSU has scored 126 points off of its opponent's 101 turnovers, an average of 18 per game. Normally we wouldn't have to highlight the need to take care of the ball for Wisconsin because Ryan's teams rank among the best nationally in fewest turnovers per game year after year. The Badgers average just 9.8 turnovers per contest this season, but they looked erratic in spurts against Indiana and turned the ball over 15 times. Ohio State has proven it will burn teams if they can't protect the rock, so Wisconsin better play a little crisper and cleaner this afternoon.</p>
<h5>Continue to move the offense through Ryan Evans</h5>
<p>I know I touched on this a bit above, but Evans is playing at an all-time high right now and he deserves some hoopla (at least for today). He's played within himself the past two days and has gotten some of that flattop swagger back. Many of us have been wondering where that swagger was all season, but it seems as though it has finally arrived. Looking at Evans' season statistically, there is really nothing to gush about. Sure he's fourth in the Big Ten in rebounding, collecting 7.5 per game, but that's always been one of his strengths. His shooting numbers are woeful at best, and his scoring output has dropped from 11 points a night last year to 10.2 this season. One stat really jumped out when looking at his offensive production: 18-2. The Badgers are 18-2 when Evans scores in double-figures. Simply put, if he gets over that 10-point mark today, I think UW walks away champions.</p>
<p>You've got to believe the Badgers have locked up a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance after soundly defeating Indiana yesterday in the semifinals. But would they jump up to the three line with a win today? I would say they deserve to be rewarded if they can complete the three-day title run later this afternoon.</p>
<p>Both Wisconsin and Ohio State look to be playing their best ball at the right time, so today's final should be another Big Ten classic. Regardless of what happens against the Buckeyes, the Badgers seem to have found their groove with the NCAA tournament on the horizon. That has got to make Wisconsin fans everywhere very excited -- I sure am.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/wisconsin-badgers-mens-basketball/2013/3/17/4114686/wisconsin-ohio-state-big-ten-tournament-championship-game-preview-ryan-evans-deshaun-thomasJackson Dahlquist2013-03-16T16:50:24-05:002013-03-16T16:50:24-05:00Badgers Beat Indiana, 68-56, in Big Ten Semifinals
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<img alt="Ryan Evans and Mike Bruesewitz celebrate yet another win over Indiana." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DhJKWA1QK3x6RAmUIdpdK_e4Svk=/0x327:4000x2994/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9876175/20130316_jla_bb6_243.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ryan Evans and Mike Bruesewitz celebrate yet another win over Indiana. | Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Behind arguably Ryan Evans's best game in a Wisconsin uniform, the Badgers shut down Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and the Indiana Hoosiers to earn their first trip to the Big Ten championship game since 2008.</p> <p>CHICAGO -- This was Wisconsin Basketball.</p>
<p>The pace was slow. The defense was tough. Every rebound was contested. Contact was abundant. The gritty and gutty narrative was served in spades.</p>
<p>But there was more. The offense flowed. Entry passes were sharp. Forwards worked the post. Guards hit jump shots. Passes led to buckets. It was this slow yet brutally -- beautifully? -- efficient offense, paced by <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52389/ryan-evans" class="sbn-auto-link">Ryan Evans</a> in the post and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124680/ben-brust" class="sbn-auto-link">Ben Brust</a> on the outside, that eventually sunk Indiana as the Badgers (23-10, 14-6 Big Ten) earned their second defeat of the season (and 12th in 12 tries) against the Hoosiers (27-6, 15-5 Big Ten), 68-56.</p>
<p>"The game wasn't any different here today than any team I've coached," Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said. "You take advantage of what you can. You try to take good opportunities every trip down. You try to limit another team's good opportunities, and it's that constant clash."</p>
<p>"The game never changes. And my guys understand that."</p>
<p>In a game starring Indiana's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145499/cody-zeller" class="sbn-auto-link">Cody Zeller</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123694/victor-oladipo" class="sbn-auto-link" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Victor Oladipo</a>, it was Wisconsin's Evans who owned the floor. He led the Badgers in points (16, a game-high), rebounds (eight), assists (four) and blocks (four, also a game-high) in the most complete game of his career. And as usual, he was on point on the defensive end. Evans was instrumental in shutting down Player of the Year candidate Victor Oladipo. The Indiana forward managed just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting; three of his 12 attempts were blocked by Evans.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2331799/Gm33_WIS_Indiana.pdf" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Box Score</a> | <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2331845/2012-13_Wisconsin_Cumulative_Stats_Conf_20130316.pdf" style="background-color: #ffffff;">Wisconsin Cumulative Stats</a></p>
<p>"I was just trying to start off inside, guys finding me," Evans said of his offensive performance. "<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson" class="sbn-auto-link">Trae [Jackson]</a> making sure I get the ball. Then, you know, really feeding off of kicking it out and guys like <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz" class="sbn-auto-link">Mike [Bruesewitz]</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175145/sam-dekker" class="sbn-auto-link"> Sam [Dekker]</a> coming in and hitting threes."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99927/mike-bruesewitz" class="sbn-auto-link"> </a></p>
<p>Indiana got a fantastic game from forward <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99890/christian-watford" class="sbn-auto-link">Christian Watford</a> -- 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting -- to keep the Hoosiers in the contest, and Zeller made his presence felt at times, as he scored 13 points and corralled 11 rebounds. But nobody on Indiana's typically hyper-efficient offense was ever allowed to take over, and many of its role players were shut down completely. Sharpshooter <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99889/jordan-hulls" class="sbn-auto-link">Jordan Hulls</a> scored just five points on nine shots from the field; his fellow starting guard <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/175023/kevin-ferrell" class="sbn-auto-link">Yogi Ferrell</a> scored just six points with three assists but two turnovers.</p>
<p>Overall, the Wisconsin defense held Indiana to an unofficial 0.90 points per possession, the Hoosiers' worst output of the year. It marks just the fourth time the Hoosiers have scored under one point per possession -- including both meetings with the Badgers. But this is nothing new -- Saturday marked the 19th time Wisconsin's defense held a foe under 0.9 points per possession and the seventh time a team has had its worst or second-worst offensive output against the Badgers.</p>
<p>The big story, however, should be the effectiveness of Wisconsin's offense. Despite Indiana's reputation as an offensive juggernaut, it's sported one of the best defensive squads in the nation. Powered by Zeller's size and strength inside and<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123694/victor-oladipo" class="sbn-auto-link"> </a>Oladipo's elite athleticism, Indiana ranks 16th nationally with an adjusted 0.88 points per possession allowed, according to KenPom.com.</p>
<p>But Wisconsin's offense was able to score from all over the floor, including 30 points in the paint, 18 off second-chance points and nine off fast breaks. The Badgers nailed seven of 18 three-point attempts (38.9 percent) and shot an impressive 25-of-49 from the field, masking an uncharacteristically poor 24.9 percent turnover rate.</p>
<p>"The biggest story for us is we've been defending the three the last six, seven games at an incredibly high level," Indiana coach Tom Crean said. "Today we didn't. And they got some kick-out threes and things of that nature, but we got away from what had been making us better. We started to over-help again, and tried to cover for one another when there was no need to do it."</p>
<p>Despite the defensive lapses, Indiana made a number of runs in the second half. The Hoosiers tied the game at 40 behind a 7-0 run with 14:11 to go in the second half and they closed a Wisconsin lead to 50-49 with a 6-0 run at 9:45 to go in the half. But Wisconsin fought off every run with one of its own.</p>
<p>Dekker, held to just four points in his first three halves at the tournament, blew up for a personal 7-0 run with the score tied at 43. He finished the game with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, taking over the role of bench hero from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146510/frank-kaminsky" class="sbn-auto-link">Frank Kaminsky</a>.</p>
<p>And then after Indiana pulled within one, the Badgers pulled away for good. The dagger was a three-pointer from <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Berggren</a> -- his first and only attempt of the day -- to extend the lead to 55-49 with 5:45 to go. Berggren finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 at the line to finish with 11 points. Wisconsin held at least a five-point lead for the final 5:45, as Indiana couldn't summon another run.</p>
<p>"I was looking, just biding my time. Just picking my spots," Berggren said of his three-pointer. "I mean, you know, it was open a couple times, my teammates told me, keep looking for it. Coach told me be aggressive, knock that down. I was just waiting for a good one -- a great shot, not a good shot."</p>
<p>With the win, Wisconsin earns its first entrance into the Big Ten championship since the Badgers won the title in 2008. Wisconsin gets the winner of the second semifinal between second-seeded Ohio State and third-seeded Michigan State. The game will be played at 2:30 p.m. CT, with coverage on CBS.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/16/4113032/wisconsin-68-indiana-56-recap-result-final-score-cody-zeller-ryan-evansJack Moore2013-03-16T13:42:25-05:002013-03-16T13:42:25-05:00Wisconsin Leads Indiana 34-31 At Halftime
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<figcaption>David Banks-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Ryan Evans (10 points, five rebounds) leads the Badgers to a first-half lead over Indiana in the Big Ten Semifinals.</p> <p>CHICAGO -- Behind a brilliant first-half performance from Ryan Evans, the Badgers own a 34-31 lead at the half in Saturday's Big Ten Semifinal.</p>
<p>Evans poured in a game-high 10 first-half points on 5-of-7 shooting and pulled in a game-high five rebounds in an impressive first half. Pressure was on Evans to make things happen on offense with both <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52392/jared-berggren" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Berggren</a> and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146508/traevon-jackson" class="sbn-auto-link">Traevon Jackson</a> in foul trouble. Berggren scored just two points on one shot; Jackson was 2-for-4 with four points when he picked up his second foul.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123694/victor-oladipo" class="sbn-auto-link">Victor Oladipo</a> leads the Hoosiers with eight points but has played an uncharacteristically sloppy game, including an airball and two traveling violations. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99890/christian-watford" class="sbn-auto-link">Christian Watford</a> matched Oladipo's eight points on sharp 3-of-5 shooting (2-2 3P). Oladipo's fellow First-Team All Conference honoree <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145499/cody-zeller" class="sbn-auto-link">Cody Zeller</a> has six points on 2-of-4 shooting. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/145498/remy-abell" class="sbn-auto-link">Remy Abell</a> added five points on perfect 2-of-2 shooting off the bench for Indiana.</p>
<p>Although the sharp offense from both sides has somewhat masked the slow play, Wisconsin is getting the pace it wants. Unofficially, each team has taken just 25 possessions, with Wisconsin scoring 1.16 points per possession and Indiana at 1.02.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2013/3/16/4112736/halftime-wisconsin-34-indiana-31Jack Moore