No. 3 Michigan Seeks Revenge Against No. 23 Wisconsin

Wolverines look to avenge earlier loss to Badgers in Big Ten tournament semifinal

Mar. 14, 2026 at 5:10pm

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The third-ranked Michigan Wolverines will face the 23rd-ranked Wisconsin Badgers in the semifinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament on Saturday. Michigan is seeking to avenge an earlier loss to Wisconsin in January, when the Badgers defeated the then-unbeaten Wolverines 91-88. Wisconsin has won five games in a row, including a comeback victory over Illinois in the quarterfinals. Michigan is coming off a narrow victory over Ohio State, and will need to shake off any rust to take down the surging Badgers.

Why it matters

This matchup features two of the top teams in the Big Ten, with the winner advancing to the conference tournament championship game. Michigan is looking to solidify its status as a top contender for the NCAA Tournament, while Wisconsin is aiming to continue its late-season surge and potentially earn a higher seed.

The details

Michigan point guard Elliot Cadeau acknowledged that the Wolverines took a bit to find their rhythm in the Ohio State game after a layoff, but expects them to be at their best against Wisconsin. The Badgers have been led by the dynamic duo of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, who combined for 69 points in the overtime win over Illinois. Wisconsin will be without forward Nolan Winter, who has missed the last four games with an ankle injury.

  • Michigan defeated Ohio State 71-67 in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
  • Wisconsin defeated Illinois 91-88 in overtime in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals on Friday.
  • Michigan and Wisconsin previously met on January 10, with the Badgers upsetting the then-unbeaten Wolverines 91-88.
  • The Michigan-Wisconsin semifinal game is scheduled for Saturday.

The players

Elliot Cadeau

Michigan's starting point guard.

Yaxel Lendeborg

Michigan's conference Player of the Year, who had an off night in the Ohio State game.

Nick Boyd

Wisconsin's leading scorer in the tournament, averaging 30.5 points per game.

John Blackwell

Wisconsin's other standout player, averaging 32.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in the tournament.

Nolan Winter

Wisconsin forward who has missed the last four games with an ankle injury.

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What they’re saying

“We felt like it took us a minute to get into our groove in the game. We felt like we shook all the rust off and we'll be 100% (playing) our best basketball (on Saturday) against a really talented team.”

— Elliot Cadeau, Michigan point guard (statenews.net)

“These two guys were terrific, but their teammates also do a really good job of helping along the way with putting space on the floor and the rebounding, and those types of things.”

— Greg Gard, Wisconsin head coach (statenews.net)

“It took us some time -- now I know where he's going to be at all times. As we keep growing together and get more and more games together, God willing, it's just going to keep being special.”

— Nick Boyd (statenews.net)

What’s next

The winner of the Michigan-Wisconsin semifinal will advance to the Big Ten tournament championship game on Sunday to play either UCLA or Purdue.

The takeaway

This highly anticipated rematch between two of the Big Ten's top teams will showcase the conference's depth and competitiveness. Michigan will need to shake off any rust and play its best basketball to avenge the earlier loss to Wisconsin and keep its conference tournament title hopes alive.