The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team accomplished something incredible on Friday night. Wisconsin hosted ninth-ranked Arizona in Madison and put on a startling performance—and not for negative reasons, either.
Quite the opposite as the Badgers defeated the ninth-ranked Wildcats 103-88. If the number of points Wisconsin scored surprises you, it probably should.
Wisconsin scored 100+ points for the first time against a “Power 4” opponent since 1993. They certainly broke through that mark and put on one of the most prodigious performances in school history.
Over the years, Wisconsin has proven a capable and consistent threat out of the Big Ten. While the conference hasn’t won a National Championship since the 2000 season, they’ve frequently had teams make deep runs over the years. Wisconsin is among them. After knocking off previously undefeated Kentucky, they finished as the runner-up in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. But it just hasn’t worked out the way that anyone’s wanted to.
The outlook on the Badgers’ season certainly changes after a dramatic upset like that. Their toughest game ahead will likely be their annual rivalry game against Marquette in Milwaukee on December 7. Meanwhile, Big Ten play will begin next month against Michigan on December 3.
Whatever the case is, it was a night of celebration in Madison. The Badgers hope to upset another team this weekend, as they’ll welcome No. 1 Oregon in football on Saturday night.
