Wisconsin fell just short of a signature win this afternoon as No. 2 Purdue entered the Kohl Center and escaped with a 75-69 victory.
The Badgers were in it throughout, though always lacked the defining moment or run to take full control of the game.
Related: Wisconsin social media irate after the Badgers’ narrow loss to No. 2 Purdue
The loss is the team’s second of the week against Quad 1 opponents (Thursday at Nebraska). It’s a massive missed opportunity, as Purdue now holds a 1.5-game lead atop the Big Ten standings.
There’s a lot to say about the contest and what it means for the Badgers going forward. First, here are our takeaways from the loss:
Greg Gard’s plan against Zach Edey was fantastic
Purdue’s win came thanks to many things, but not necessarily the offensive contributions from Zach Edey.
Greg Gard did a masterful job at doubling from different points, messing with Edey’s timing and not allowing him to gain a rhythm. The big man and Naismith contender finished with 18 points on 13/17 shooting — that’s a win considering the alternative.
Still, Edey was too much
Does Edey deserve the whistle he gets? I’m not going to litigate that part.
But it’s undeniable that his sheer presence completely changed how Wisconsin could attack. Steven Crowl, Chucky Hepburn and others couldn’t attack the rim — forcing the team to settle for many ill-advised jumpers.
Then Edey on offense attracted the entire team’s attention, which gave Braden Smith and Lance Jones driving lanes all afternoon.
It’s a well-designed team around Edey, who instantly changes everything for opponents.
Purdue’s offensive rebounding decided the game
Purdue outrebounded Wisconsin 42-29 — and 14-10 on the offensive glass.
The Badgers seemed to fall just short when a big defensive rebound was necessary, which almost always immediately led to Purdue points.
Attribute this to Edey and just to a few bad bounces of the ball. But I’d argue Wisconsin rebounding better would’ve led to a clean victory.
Tyler Wahl was terrific
This afternoon was Tyler Wahl’s best game this season, and maybe in years. He finished with 20 points on 10/16 shooting, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.
When nobody else could attack the paint and finish inside, Wahl was there to do it. When Wisconsin desperately needed any spark, Wahl gave it to them.
The Badgers lost due to several reasons. None of them are the play of Tyler Wahl.
Chucky Hepburn needs to score more
Chucky Hepburn has been a valuable part of the Badgers’ team all season, even though he averages just over seven points per game.
Today he finished with six points — all in garbage time when the game was already decided.
These are the games where, at times, Hepburn needs to match the opposing point guard and contribute offensively. Today there seemed to be way too much passivity as opportunities for shots were passed up.
It’s fine to say that going forward, Hepburn needs to do more on offense.
Connor Essegian was a massive spark off the bench
Connor Essegian’s lack of playing time has been a big story this season. Today, his spark of the bench was massive in keeping the Badgers in the game until the last few minutes.
Today was a day where nobody on Wisconsin could find consistent shots on the perimeter — which is where Essegian immediately helps. He finished with just six points on 3/7 shooting, but the eye test says he made a sizable positive impact.
A.J. Storr didn’t do enough offensively
This may have been A.J. Storr’s worst game as a Badger. Too often he fell victim to poor shot selection and low-percentage attempts.
He finished with just 14 points on 4/15 shooting and 0/4 from three.
Storr will need to play like one of the sport’s stars if the Badgers are to make any sort of run in March.
The Big Ten refs took control of the game. Again.
Not blaming a loss on the referees. But yet again there was a clean, well-officiated basketball game with good flow going into the final 10 minutes. Then the refs took control.
With 10 minutes left, there were 12 total fouls called on Wisconsin and seven on Purdue. Those tallies finished at 21 and 16 respectively.
Pair a questionable whistle for Edey, who doesn’t need it, with some odd missed calls down the stretch, and I’d call it a poor afternoon for officiating.
