Wisconsin Basketball: Badgers Finding Groove During Win Streak

The Wisconsin basketball team is getting into a groove

The Wisconsin basketball team has strung together its first three-game winning streak of the season, and is finding a groove in Big Ten play. That success can largely be attributed to the consistent play of Badgers forwards Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ.

The Badgers earned that third straight win Tuesday night against Indiana on their home court thanks to a combined 56 points from Hayes and Happ, who combine to outscore the Hoosiers own duo of Yogi Ferrell and Thomas Bryant and help secure the Badgers overtime victory.

The win followed a 1-point victory over Michigan State and a a 6-point win on the road at Penn State as the Badgers improved to 4-4 in the Big Ten and 12-9 overall on the season.

Wisconsin Badgers /

Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin’s recent success rides on the heels of the strong play of the Badgers duo inside, Hayes and Happ. In the past three games, Nigel Hayes has scored 71 total points (25 against Michigan State, 15 against Penn State, 31 against Indiana) and has another 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Over that same three-game stretch, Ethan Happ has registered 59 total points (14 points and the game winner against Michigan State, 20 against Penn State, 20 against Indiana) and has added in 27 rebounds.

The duo is carrying Wisconsin through a very important stretch of Big Ten play, as Wisconsin was 1-4 in Big Ten play following a heartbreaking loss to Maryland heading into the Michigan State game. These three wins have given the Badgers hope for the post season, but the NCAA Tournament is still a few big wins out of the Badgers reach.

To get where they want to go, namely, the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers need to continue this winning streak as they prepare for back-to-back games against Michigan State and Maryland before they see conference-leading Iowa for the first time in late February.

While Hayes and Happ have been the Badgers workhorses, Wisconsin will need some other players to step up their game and bring more consistency to the court.

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Bronson Koenig struggled mightily against Indiana (4 points, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls), and had a sub-par 8-point performance against Penn State, but was a key part of the Badgers victory over Michigan State with a game-high 27 points. His outside shooting is the key to making the Badgers offense unstoppable, as Happ has claimed the paint and Hayes has shown brilliance in his mid-range game.

The Badgers will also need role players to step up much like they did against Indiana. Jordan Hill had the game of his career as he didn’t miss a shot from the field on the way to a 13-point night. Hill had a big game on the defensive end, as well, forcing a couple of charge fouls and getting pressure on Indiana star Ferrell. Vitto Brown, too, made a solid contribution to the Badgers win, scoring nine points in his 18 minutes of playing time.

The Badgers will need those role players to continue their strong contributions as they prepare for Illinois this weekend and Ohio State next week.

Next: What's up with Bronson Koenig?

Stay tuned to Badger of Honor for more Wisconsin basketball news and analysis as the season continues.

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