An easy one for the Badgers

Wisconsin won its first game in the Big Ten tournament with a 51-34 win over Michigan. They scored the first 10 points, and never trailed--which means they've been ahead about the last 150 minutes they've played. It didn't matter that their top scorer, Brian Butch, got in foul trouble early, and ended up with only one point.

Fortunately, Michigan wasn't able to take advantage of that, or of some rather sloppy ball-handling and poor shooting by the Badgers. The Wisconsin defense was up to the task--Michigan's 34 points was by far the lowest by any team ever in the decade-or-so old Big Ten tournament. Michael Flowers got some pay-back against Wolverine star Manny Harris, who had burned him for 26? points in a game earlier in the season, and perhaps preventing Flowers from being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Flowers guarded him super-close, and Harris managed just 4 points this time.

It was good to see Tanner Bronson, who worked his way up from team manager, get into the game in the last minute and end up on the scorecard with a free-throw. I wonder if Butch will get any ribbing for only being able to equal the point output of a bench-warmer.

Next up for Wisconsin, the winner of the Michigan State-Ohio State game, tomorrow afternoon.