Everyone knew the Wisconsin men's basketball team was never going to go undefeated this year, but that doesn't take away from the disappointing result on Tuesday night. Fans at the Kohl Center were ready to see a convincing win get posted against Michigan, but the opposite was the case.
Up 32-26 at halftime, Wisconsin couldn't keep up its high energy in the second half, opening the door for the Wolverines to leave Madison with a 67-64 victory to their name. It was a rough showing for the team, which is now 8-1 on the year. Nothing to worry about, though, if you ask John Blackwell. Nope, he's confident this team will bounce back the next time they're on the court.
John Blackwell and Wisconsin will use the loss to Michigan as motivation
"I think we are going to respond great," Blackwell said via the Wisconsin team site. "I think we have a great group of vets who have been through this. I mean, you're not going to win every game. We're going to be just fine. We're going to build off this loss, take it on the chin and just seep moving forward
In the defeat, Blackwell scored 16 points for the Badgers, which was second on the team behind John Tonje's 18. Yes, losing a game, especially to a Big Ten rival, is going to sting, but this is a small setback for Greg Gard and Co. early on this season.
It in no way should have people forgetting about the upset win over Arizona earlier in the season, plus the head-turning victory over Pitt in the Greenbrier Tip-Off title game. Wisconsin will have no time to dwell on this loss too, as No. 5 Marquette is next up on the schedule. This will be a tough contest for Gard's players, but Blackwell and others will be ready to step up and deliver.