Wisconsin basketball continued its recent descent with an 88-74 loss to rival No. 5 Marquette on Saturday.
The loss drops the No. 11-ranked Badgers to 8-2 on the season, still 0-1 in Big Ten play. Those two losses have occurred in sequence, with Wisconsin first falling to a strong Michigan team earlier this week.
The two contests followed similar scripts. Wisconsin began with strong first halves (32-26 vs. Michigan, 39-37 vs. Marquette) before each game shifted after the break. Michigan won the second half 41-32 en route to a 67-64 victory. Marquette blitzed Wisconsin with a 51-35 second-half, closing the 14-point home win.
The Badgers now must regroup with a big road test at No. 19 Illinois on Tuesday, then a tough neutral site showdown against Butler next Saturday. Wins in those games will be paramount as Greg Gard’s team looks to carry momentum into the holiday break.
Before the page is fully turned to what lies ahead, here are the biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s loss to Marquette:
Dec 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard John Tonje (9) drives for the basket between Marquette Golden Eagles guard Kam Jones (1) and guard Tre Norman (5) during the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
This is an easy indicator to spot. Wisconsin turned the ball over 16 times on Saturday (eight in the first half, eight in the second), leading directly to 16 Marquette points. The Badgers, meanwhile, forced just five Golden Eagle turnovers.
Wisconsin shot the ball well enough to exit with a victory. But its sloppiness with the basketball build that early second-half deficit, and was a big reason the team couldn’t battle back.
The Badgers entered Saturday ranked No. 11 in the nation with only 9.3 turnovers per game. That area defined the team’s sub-par performance.
Dec 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Marquette guard Kam Jones (1) is fouled by Wisconsin guard Kamari McGee (4) during the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-Imagn Images
Wisconsin’s classic calling card has been strong defense. This year, as we’ve indicated, that emphasis is flipped. It works well when John Tonje leads a 100-point outing against Arizona. It doesn’t when Marquette explodes for a 51-point second half.
Kam Jones dominated on both sides of the court, finishing with 32 points, six assists, four steals and two rebounds on 12-of-21 shooting and 3-of-7 from three….
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