Imagine thinking this was remotely possible one month ago. Imagine thinking this was something you could discuss with friends or neighbors. Imagine thinking this was anywhere near the realm of sanity when Wisconsin was preparing to play Michigan State on February 1 without Kobe King or Brad Davison.
Yet, it’s real: With the Maryland Terrapins beating the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday afternoon, it is now official: The Wisconsin Badgers will be the No. 1 seed at the 2020 Big Ten Tournament this week.
Wisconsin will not be the outright Big Ten champion — Maryland will match Wisconsin’s 14-6 league record, with 13-6 Michigan State having a chance to share the title in its game against Ohio State on Sunday afternoon. However, because of the Big Ten tiebreaker rules we laid out last week, Wisconsin (which would win a two-team tie with Maryland due to a head-to-head win) would prevail in a three-way tie with Maryland and Michigan State.
Wisconsin beat Maryland and split with Michigan State, giving the Badgers a 2-1 record in the three-team group collection of results. Maryland lost to Wisconsin and split with Michigan State, for a 1-2 record in group competition. Michigan State split with both Wisconsin and Maryland, gaining a 2-2 record in group competition. Wisconsin comes out ahead in that three-team tie, so the Badgers have both the two-team and three-team ties in this scenario after Maryland’s win early on Sunday.
Wisconsin’s rise to the No. 1 seed at the Big Ten Tournament is part of a larger story in which college basketball teams which were struggling in late January found a tonic in February and early March.
Virginia was heading for the NIT and was buried in the middle of the ACC standings in early February, much like Wisconsin. The Cavaliers then won eight straight games — just as Wisconsin did — to finish 15-5 in the ACC and earn a No. 2 seed at the ACC Tournament.
UCLA was not even an NIT team earlier this season. The Bruins would have had a hard time qualifying for the CBI, and they were 1-2 in the Pac-12 after three games. However, they won seven straight games and were so consistently good in the month of February that they earned a No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, which they have a very good chance of winning.
Wisconsin wasn’t alone in making a huge turnaround late in a season, but unlike both Virginia in the ACC and UCLA in the Pac-12, a long winning streak delivered the Badgers a No. 1 seed, not just a 2 seed. The Badgers have a trophy, something the Cavaliers and Bruins lack.