In this series, I want to remember the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this second installment that adjective is grit.
The inevitable fast-forward in time through a mostly forgettable November and December for the Badgers brings us to the first game of the new year. On December 11th, the Badgers fell at Rutgers in their first Big Ten clash to bring them to 5-5 overall on the year. This team lacked an identity, character, and fight that they had yet to find. Signs began to show when the Badgers went on the road to Tennessee and took care of business in a 20-point blowout win near the end of December. UW rolled into Columbus on January 3rd winners of three straight, and looking for what at the time would be a significant upset.
On January 3rd, the Ohio State Buckeyes were everybody’s favorite Big Ten story. The Buckeyes started the year a blazing 9-0, with wins over Villanova, UNC (did that really mean much?), and Penn State among others. Just two weeks before the Badgers paraded into Value City Arena (really not the greatest arena name in the country), Ohio State had taken out Kentucky on a neutral floor. OSU was ranked fifth in the nation when the two powerhouse programs met.
The first twenty minutes were exactly how Greg Gard wanted them to be: ugly. Like really, really ugly. Would you rather win ugly or lose pretty? This Badger team had a clear answer that night. UW imposed their defensive will, holding the Buckeyes to just 57 points. OSU was limited to 19-47 (40%) from the field and 6-20 (30%) from beyond the arc. The Badgers, if anything, shot the rock even less effectively, going just 6-23 (26%) from distance.
After Wisconsin held OSU’s star big Kaleb Wesson and crew in check through the first twenty minutes, the Buckeyes came out hot, scoring ten straight points early in the second half to jump to a 7-point lead. Many times would have packed up and gone home after being punched in the mouth on the road by a talented Buckeye team. That was not in the DNA of this gritty Badger group. Wisconsin fought their way back, and Nate Reuvers gave UW their first lead in over 17 minutes with just under two minutes left in the contest. From that moment on, two massive plays sealed the win. Brevin Pritzl hit a dagger three in the left corner off of a set play to give the Badgers a four point lead headed into the final minute.
Looking to start a petition to make every gameday "Pritzl Day" 🥨
Strong stuff from Brevin Pritzl last night, including a late 3 to clinch the upset over #5 Ohio State#OnWisconsin » #Badgers pic.twitter.com/heWGmlVP2T
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 4, 2020
After the Buckeyes cut it to one on the ensuing possession, Tyler Wahl grabbed a game-changing offensive rebound that forced OSU to play the foul game. One of the best free-throw shooting teams in the nation then put the Buckeyes out of their misery at the stripe. This win turned the narrative on what had previously been a disappointing 13-game start for the Badgers. A 61-57 win in Columbus became the blueprint for how the Badgers survived the Big Ten gauntlet: grit.