The Wisconsin Badgers are having a magical run through the Big Ten Tournament and on Sunday they will face one of their biggest challenges yet as they take on Ohio State At the United Center in Chicago for the conference tournament title.
The Buckeyes are going for their third title in the past four seasons, but they will have a unique challenge in Wisconsin, as they have beaten a number of high-ranked teams on their way to the finals, including Michigan and Indiana, scoring 68 points in both games and holding both opponents to under 60 points.
Ohio State will be looking to sneak into a number one or number two seed in the NCAA tournament and a win in the final would help that cause. The Buckeyes have already lost once to the Badgers this season at the Kohl Center, shooting just 37 percent while falling 71-49 in one of their worst losses of the season. Wisconsin shot over 50 percent and will try to play the same game on Sunday.
The Buckeyes have made it to the Big Ten final in five straight seasons and will be ready for the pressure, but the Badgers, who have created a fun-loving and motivated atmosphere behind the Ke$ha song "Die Young", will be ready to win again. The loss against Wisconsin was the last defeat for the Buckeyes and they have momentum behind them after winning seven straight games, including a victory over eighth-ranked Michigan State 61-58 in the semifinals on Saturday.
Aaron Craft will be one of the biggest keys to the game and he will need to have a better game for Ohio State than the first time against Wisconsin, when he has just four points and an awful shooting day. Against Michigan State he was much better, scoring 20 points in the win and has been shooting nearly 60 percent during the win streak. Craft is one of the best defenders in the nation and will need ot be sharp to help the Buckeyes on Sunday.
Deshaun Thomas will be the top scoring option for the Buckeyes and he has been scoring over 20 points per game against the Badgers in his last four games and put in 25 points in the home win in January. The Buckeyes will be the first team to win four tournaments with a victory on Sunday and they already have the most appearances in the game with eight total.
The fourth-seeded Badgers are trying to make some history for themselves, as they would be the first team to defeat the top two seeds in the tournament on their way to a championship. The Badgers took down the Hoosiers on Saturday with a 68-56 win behind 16 points from Reggie Evans. Head coach Bo Ryan praised the team's defense, as they were able to keep the Hoosiers from consistently scoring, despite being the second-ranked scoring team in the nation.
The Badgers are making their fifth appearance in the championship game and previous lost to the Buckeyes in 2007. Altogether, the Badgers are just 1-3 against Ohio State in the conference tournament. Wisconsin is scoring just 66 points per game and are ranked 71st in rebounding. The Buckeyes have been hotting over 45 percent of their shots this season and ranked 110th in scoring with nearly 70 points per game.
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