Even after transforming a 27-tally deficit into a four-point affair, Greg Gard’s Wisconsin Badgers (17-14, 9-11 Big Ten) dropped their first round Big Ten tournament contest 65-57 to Chris Holtmann’s Ohio State Buckeyes (14-18, 5-15) in Chicago, Illinois.
The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team, which had not secured consecutive victories in over two months, played its first opening day contest at the Big Ten tournament since 2000. With an array of March Madness implications on the line, the Badgers certainly needed to capture a first-round victory to increase the likelihood of capturing a bid to the Big Dance.