Wisconsin Badgers vs Northwestern Wildcats Picks and Predictions March 13th 2025

No. 18 Wisconsin Attempts to Regroup Against Northwestern

Wisconsin looks to bounce back from its disappointing end to the regular season when the 18th-ranked Badgers face Northwestern Thursday afternoon in the second round of the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.

Wisconsin Looking to Rebound After Costly Loss

The 13th-seeded Wildcats (17-15) advanced with a 72-64 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday behind Nick Martinelli’s 28 points.

Fifth-seeded Wisconsin (23-8) suffered an 87-75 upset Saturday at home against Penn State, which cost the Badgers a double-bye in the tournament. Penn State, which finished 17th in the 18-team conference, had lost 22 straight games against the Badgers and hadn’t won in Madison in 30 years.

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When the Badgers and Wildcats met Feb. 1 at Northwestern, Wisconsin rallied for a 75-69 win thanks to a 50-point second half.

“They have such a juggernaut offensively. We gave them 50 points in the second half. So much of it again is going to be our defense. They’ll hit you from five different spots.” – Northwestern coach Chris Collins

Wisconsin lost three of its final five games, struggling to hold onto leads. The Badgers let a 15-point second-half advantage slip away in a 77-73 overtime home loss to Oregon, then led Penn State by 13 late in the first half before falling by 12.

“We needed to flush it quick and move on and get ready for what’s coming at the end of this week.” – Wisconsin coach Greg Gard

Badgers’ Offense Among the Best in Program History

Wisconsin averages 80.8 points per game, the most since the 1970-71 squad set the school record with 86.3 points per game. The Badgers have scored at least 80 points in 16 games this season, the most in school history.

John Tonje, a unanimous first-team all-conference pick, leads Wisconsin with 18.9 points per game, while John Blackwell adds 15.6 per contest. Blackwell has averaged 21.0 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last four games.

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Starting guard Max Klesmit missed the last three games with a lower leg injury but expects to return for the tournament.

“Feeling good, going to play. I think I’ve put myself in a really good position to make a deep run here in this Big Ten tournament and this NCAA Tournament.” – Max Klesmit

The Badgers lead the nation in free-throw accuracy at 83.6 percent and have made more (514) than their opponents have attempted (511).

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Northwestern Faces Injury Challenges

Martinelli, a second-team all-conference pick, leads the Big Ten with 20.4 points per game, while Ty Berry averages 10.6. However, the Wildcats have been hard-hit by injuries. Senior guard Brooks Barnhizer (17.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG) was lost for the season in late January with a foot injury, and guard Jalen Leach (14.3 PPG) went down in early February with an ACL injury.

Wisconsin has won the Big Ten tournament three times (2004, 2008, 2015) and advanced to the title game eight times.

“We’ve got a chance here over the next four days to chase another championship. So, that’s where our minds are right now.” – Gard