I saw much to be excited about:

• Joey, Malik, and AJ are getting to the free throw line.
• Mady is rebounding and defending well. 
• Joey continues to be steady-to-excellent in every part of his game. 
• Akins is getting closer to playing consistentlyat a high level at both ends. 

As for some concerns:

• The turnovers do not worry me because Akins had for the team’s 13. That is not likely to be a regular problem. 
• Beating the Badgers by only a few points on their court when they are missing their best player is an accomplishment. They still had 3 good players in Hepburn, Essegian, and Crowl. And the other players do a good job of playing their roles. 

Posted by: @spartypants

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Honestly, this Wisconsin team had no business keeping it this close without Wahl, but that is a tough place to play with a very well coached team. Great job executing in winning time!

The Good:

1. AJ Hoggard is the best guard in the Big 10. So clutch when it counts and has really ascended to a Big 10 POTY candidate.

2. Hauser bounced back nicely. If his confidence stays high this team has an enormous ceiling.

3. Jaden Akins showed some special athleticism. 

4. Everyone had ice in their veins at line. Couldn’t ask for a better performance.

5. Malik Hall took over when we needed some big buckets. Love his tenacity.

6. Much better shooting than Saturday’s game.

7. Carson Cooper played important minutes. Maybe I’ve been a bit too harsh but he still has a long way to go.

The Bad:

1. Interior defense was horrific again. Kohler is basically unplayable against any team with any semblance of post play.

2. Sissoko looked better offensively but got worked pretty good by Crowl.

3. Is Wisconsin’s court on top of ice? Guys were losing their footing all night.

4. Three point defense was bad most of the night but sured up in the last 10 minutes.

5. Pierre Brooks, where you at?

6. Think some guys had the mentality they could take these “slow white guys” one on one. Wisconsin has smart and skilled players and won’t make mistakes.

7. Turnovers creeping back up.

The Injured:

Mady got cracked in the face but seemed ok. Let’s hope no symptoms pop up. Akins maybe slightly tweaked his ankle but seemed ok.

I love that your injured part is someone getting a cut over his eye. Let's hope it stays that way for the rest of the season.

@elarson284568176374567 I try to keep an eye out for any bump or bruise because those add up over the Big 10 season. My concern with any head injury is concussion symptoms popping up the next day. We CANNOT afford to lose Mady!

@hazelmotes exactly right. Wisconsin ran their stuff very well and made shots. MSU wasn’t at their sharpest defensively but when the opponent makes mistakes, you still have to punish them and Wisconsin did that for a lot of the night. When MSU tightened the screws late, it helped win the game along with high level offensive execution.  Getting a win there is ALWAYS a big deal. How can people still evaluate that team based on how they look in a layup line this many years into their consistent success?