So, there is some good news and bad news for Wisconsin basketball. You want the bad news first, right? I’ll give it to you: The Badgers would have preferred to play the Ohio State Buckeyes later in the season in Columbus. Friday, January 3 is too early. The Badgers will not have had a lot of time to work with Micah Potter and develop the rhythm they need to have the best possible chance to win on the Buckeyes’ home floor.
Yes, it is true that with Potter being a relative newcomer to the 2019-2020 lineup, Ohio State and head coach Chris Holtmann won’t have as much film to review in preparation for Wisconsin. Greg Gard is in a position to try some new combinations and catch the Buckeyes off balance. That much is true. However, it remains that Wisconsin would like more time to work with Potter and develop the blended harmony (in road games) this team needs to become its best version this season. The Ohio State game is coming earlier than desired, under the circumstances.
Okay, that’s the bad news.
The good news: If Wisconsin can beat the Buckeyes, the Badgers would instantly transform their resume from NIT to the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. No, we’re not going to talk bracketology, but we can take a bird’s-eye view of the larger landscape of college basketball. This sport is so uncertain right now — with No. 1 teams losing left and right, and North Carolina being a bubble team — that a lot of schools have not solidified their positions as near-lock NCAA teams. If Wisconsin picks off Ohio State in early January, such a win would immediately reset the Badgers’ season.
So, they’re not likely to win this game, but if they DO, they’re in a vastly better place. That is the reality after Ohio State shrugged off its loss to Minnesota with a victory over Kentucky on Saturday in Las Vegas. It is true that Kentucky isn’t particularly good right now, but after the Wildcats lost to Utah on Wednesday, everyone knew they would give Ohio State their best shot. In terms of effort, they did.
The Buckeyes handled everything which came their way. Moreover, their big eraser in the middle, Kaleb Wesson, fouled out with nearly 3:30 left in regulation. They still fended off Big Blue. How big is the hype surrounding Ohio State? Even after a week in which OSU lost, prominent commentators floated the idea that the Buckeyes could be No. 1:
COLUMN: Ohio State’s best player fouled out with 3:30 remaining. But it didn’t matter. The Buckeyes still beat Kentucky in Saturday's @CBSSports Classic. And now the question is this: Should OSU be the new No. 1?https://t.co/Zrl0dTQrvO
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) December 22, 2019
The Wisconsin Badgers are not in a great position right now, to be sure. Yet, if they can improve quickly enough to beat Ohio State in their first game of the 2020s, their 2019-2020 season could change dramatically for the better.