Everyone knows that making a run in the NCAA tournament usually comes down to which teams are playing their best ball coming into March.
That’s why it’s so important for programs to see a wide variety of teams throughout the season to prepare them for what lies ahead.
Thankfully for a team like Wisconsin, playing in a gauntlet like the Big Ten helps prepare your program for just about anything come postseason play.
As Greg Gard has frequently stated, there are no “get right” games in the Big Ten, knowing full well you can’t take nights off and still expect to win in this league.
Using his BPR metric, Evan Miya broke down which players have faced the strongest oppositions this season, based on the average BPR of opponents players they’ve faced on a possession to possession basis.
On this list you’ll notice all five Badgers starters listed among the top 30: Davis (11), Wahl (13), Crowl (16), Hepburn (17), and Davison (22).
This should come as almost no surprise given the level of competition the Badgers consistently face, coupled with the heavy minutes being played by Wisconsin’s starting five.
One thing is for sure, this team will be battle tested and well positioned to make a run in the tournament come March.
Ever wonder which players have played against the toughest competition?
Here are the players who have faced the strongest opposition, based on the average Bayesian Performance Rating of opponent players faced on each possession👇 pic.twitter.com/AL8btBVoKV
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 10, 2022
Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.