Wisconsin Badgers
Current record: 18-11 (9-8)
Current RPI: 31
Current Sagarin: 28
Current Pomeroy: 29
2007-08 record: 31-5 (16-2, Big Ten champion/Big Ten Tournament champion; lost to Davidson in NCAA Sweet 16)
2007-08 RPI: 10
2007-08 Sagarin: 5
2007-08 Pomeroy: 5
Series: IU leads 94-58
Last IU win: 1/31/2007 (71-66 in Bloomington)
Last Wisconsin win: 2/19/2009 (68-51 in Bloomington)
Last IU win in Madison: 1/25/1998 (69-59)
TV: 7 pm Sunday, BTN
IU heads to Wisconsin for the regular season finale. IU hasn't won in Madison in over a decade and has only one win at the Kohl Center since it opened in 1998. It's a fairly dramatic turnaround since IU won every game between the two teams from 1980 and 1997. The Badgers have become one of the toughest outs in the conference, although they haven't been as strong this year as in the past two seasons. The last game was IU's first home blowout loss of the Big Ten season, and Trevon Hughes and Joe Krabbenhoft were ruthlessly efficient, scoring 21 on 14 shots and 18 pn 11 shots, respectively. This IU team has sometimes competed when least expected, but there is little objective reason to expect much of a game on Sunday. The Badgers, considering their excellent computer rankings and solid overall record, can feel fairly confident about their NCAA chances. Wisconsin hasn't yet had a bad loss. The Badgers lost non-conference games to Connecticut, Marquette, and Texas. The closest thing to a bad loss would be the Badgers' OT loss at Iowa, but obviously a loss to IU would be a negative mark on the postseason resume.
As I have said in recent weeks, it's hard to say much interesting in these previews, and I'll be back with renewed vigor next year. Despite the outcome of the season, I do plan to keep things going after the Big Ten Tournament with a look back at the performances of returning players and the like.
Be sure to check out Bucky's Fifth Quarter for the UW perspective as the game approaches.