Wisconsin Badgers looked like they may get off this week on the right foot. They maintained a double-digit lead in the second half against bubble team Nebraska, and all they had to do was close out the Huskers to secure their fourth Big Ten victory of the year. Instead, they went cold from the field only scoring eight points in the last 10 minutes of the game. Wisconsin let a win slip out of their fingers, and they’ve dropped three straight. This is the first time Nebraska swept Wisconsin in basketball since the Huskers came to the Big Ten a few years ago.

Ethan Happ shines in a losing effort but…
Even though Wisconsin lost on Monday, we can still sing the praises of Ethan Happ. He played great on Monday night with 25 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks. That’s a strong performance by the junior out of Illinois. He looked unstoppable at times as Nebraska didn’t really have an answer for him in the paint. Unfortunately for Wisconsin, they need these type of stellar performances from Happ or someone else on the team to have a chance at winning games considering the lack of scoring elsewhere on the court.

Free throw line kills Happ and Badgers
One of the bigger issues for Wisconsin last season came back to bite them yesterday. They were awful from the free throw line going 16-for-31. Much of that was from Happ who missed 11 free throws in the game. Besides not having a jumper, that really kills Happ is his woeful free throw shooting. Nebraska made him earn it from the line, and it worked out for Tim Miles as he went less than 50 percent from the stripe.

Big Ten play hasn’t been kind to Brad Davison
We chatted a bit about him last Badgers recap, but it’s clear the secrets are out on Brad Davison’s offensive game. He struggled again last night with only five points. This is his fourth game in five that he scored less than 10 points. Coincidentally, Wisconsin lost all of those games. He is the straw that stirs the drink for this Wisconsin offense and not having an effective Davison hurts the team.

Next up
Wisconsin stays home to welcome Northwestern. The Wildcats have been a pain in the Badgers’ side for the last couple of years, but Wisconsin looks to play spoiler this time around. Wildcats struggled on Monday with only 47 points scored versus Michigan, so, maybe Wisconsin can muddy this game up. Northwestern desperately needs a win to avoid a bad loss on their schedule.

Charlie.