Wisconsin left no doubt Tuesday after Saturday's second-half collapse and eventual overtime loss to Oregon. They led for over 36 minutes in total and were ahead by double-digits for 28 of those minutes en route to the 26-point win
The Badgers dominated on the interior outscoring Washington 42 to 32 in the painted area while outrebounding the Huskies 41 to 26. Washington threw a unique defensive look at Wisconsin, flashing a 1-3-1 zone that trapped ball handlers beyond the perimeter. The zone did slow down Wisconsin's pace and eat into the shot clock but Wisconsin didn't commit many turnovers as a result of the pressure and still found ways to score.
Perhaps the lone negative storyline from the win is the health of Max Klesmit. Klesmit played the first five minutes before being subbed out and never returned. He didn't warm up with the team coming out of halftime and was wearing a shooting shirt for the duration of the second half.
Still, it was a dominant win over a bottom-feeding Big 10 team and, more importantly, a game to settle the waters after a truly uncharacteristic defeat over the weekend.
Here are my biggest takeaways:
Badger fans can take a deep breath
No Badger fan felt good after the overtime loss to Oregon, when we were harshly reminded of the issues that plagued last year's Wisconsin Squad in The Big Dance. While one game isn't enough to warrant legitamite concern, a sub-standard showing against the lowly Huskies could have sparked some doubt.
Wisconsin rebounded in every sense, dominating Washington from start to finish to claim its third 25-plus point win of conference play. They committed five fewer turnovers, shot 51.6 percent from the field and limited Great Osobor to 11 points (4-10 FG). Osobor committed four turnovers
Sunday's matchup with Michigan State could put to bed the concerns that arose from the loss to Oregon, but for now, Wisconsin fans can go to bed content.
Blackwell snaps slump
Shooting slump may be a bit too strong of a term to describe John Blackwell's recent performance from three-point land. Before Tuesday's win, Blackwell had made multiple three-pointers once in his last seven games, shooting 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) during that stretch. He hit on four of his seven threes and seemed unstoppable at points.
Blackwell scored 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting during the first half without committing a turnover and while he was much quieter in the second half, the Badgers didn't need him to be as aggressive to expand their advantage. He finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
It was Blackwell's fifth 20-point effort of the campaign -- his first since Jan. 2 -- and notched his first career double-double. With John Tonje already on a roll, getting Blackwell back on track is massive as we head trudge toward March.
Crowl has found his form
Steven Crowl has been over his early-season woes for weeks now. Yet, it seems he's unlocked another level recently. Including Tuesday, Crowl is averaging 14.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists during his last three games and has unleashed his full array of post moves.
Largely due to teams throwing double teams at him, Crowl had been an auxiliary offensive option leading up to the spurt. Even in those games, he found ways to make positive impacts, either as a defender or a passer.
If he can maintain this level of efficiency as a post scorer, Wisconsin's already-versatile attack can become even more dangerous -- especially in March.