Wisconsin basketball won a game on Monday night that sub-par Badgers teams rarely win.
That context: on the road at Rutgers while committing 16 total turnovers and allowing 16 second-half offensive rebounds.
Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s win over Rutgers
Wisconsin was just 2-4 all-time at the Rutgers Athletic Center entering Monday. Its offensive output in the 75-63 win sets a program mark in what is normally an extremely challenging place to play.
“We have to give Wisconsin a tip of the hat,” Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said postgame. “They’ve been playing very well. Not a lot of teams come in here and beat us like that.”
The win improves the Badgers to 12-2 on the season and 2-2 in Big Ten play. The result drops Rutgers to 8-7 and 1-3, respectively.
Wisconsin is now winners of four straight dating back to its triumph over Butler on Dec. 14. That streak has the team trending in both KenPom and ESPN BPI:
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KenPom: No. 21 overall (up four spots from its No. 25 ranking after the Iowa win) and No. 6 in the Big Ten, with the No. 12 offense and No. 59 defense in the country.
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ESPN BPI: No. 30 overall (up five spots) and No. 7 in the Big Ten, with a projected record of 21.3 – 9.7 and a 7% chance to win the Big Ten.
For context, Wisconsin’s effort against Rutgers rose its KenPom defensive rating from No. 80 in the nation to No. 59. That trend is a great sign after defensive struggles hurt the team in early-season losses to Michigan, Illinois and Marquette.
Wisconsin’s offensive ceiling is rising to unprecedented levels, highlighted by a record-breaking 116-point outburst against Iowa. The Badgers can both contend for the conference and make a deep run in March if the defensive end of the court catches up.
Greg Gard’s team is back on the Kohl Center court on Friday against Minnesota. The Gophers are fresh off a 2OT home loss to Ohio State that dropped them to 8-7 on the season and 0-4 in Big Ten play. Minnesota currently sits No. 113 and No. 102 in KenPom and ESPN BPI, respectively.
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