Wisconsin Vs Michigan: Wolverines Set for Big Ten Tournament Semifinal Rematch With Badgers
CHICAGO — The next chapter of wisconsin vs michigan is set for Saturday afternoon, with Big Ten regular-season champion and third-ranked Michigan (30-2) facing 23rd-ranked Wisconsin (24-9) in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal at the United Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 1: 00 pm ET, with the game airing on CBS.
Wisconsin Vs Michigan: Semifinal Set After Wolverines’ Quarterfinal Win
Michigan reached the semifinal round after a 71-67 quarterfinal victory over No. 8 seed Ohio State. Aday Mara led the Wolverines with 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, while Elliot Cadeau added 15 points and seven assists in the win.
The semifinal matchup places Michigan, the tournament’s No. 1 seed, against No. 5 seed Wisconsin in a rematch that also carries recent tournament history. Michigan will be making its 12th Big Ten Tournament semifinal appearance and has advanced to six championship games, holding a 4-2 record in those title contests.
A Familiar Tournament Rematch: 2025 Title Game Still in the Picture
Saturday’s meeting will be a rematch of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament title game in Indianapolis, when Michigan rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to beat Wisconsin 59-53. In that championship game, the Wolverines outscored the Badgers 32-15 over the final 12 minutes to complete the comeback.
This time, Michigan enters with a 30-2 overall record and as the Big Ten regular-season champion, while Wisconsin brings a 24-9 mark into the semifinal. Michigan’s path to the matchup also adds another point of intrigue: the Wolverines’ 14-0 start ended earlier this season with a 91-88 loss to Wisconsin on Jan. 10 at Crisler Center. That game stood as Michigan’s only regular-season defeat, with the Wolverines finishing 19-1 in Big Ten play to claim the program’s 16th conference title.
In that win in Ann Arbor, Wisconsin made 15 three-pointers. It marked the first time an opponent hit 15 or more threes against Michigan in more than nine years, dating back to UCLA on Dec. 10, 2016.
What Michigan Brings Into the Semifinal
Michigan’s season résumé includes several dominant margins: the Wolverines have 24 wins by 10 points or more, 13 by 20 or more, 10 by 30 or more, a Big Ten-record seven by 40 or more, and one by at least 50. The 30-win mark has been reached only six times in program history, and it is the first time since the 2018-19 team finished 30-7. The program record for wins in a season is 33, set by the 2017-18 team.
Michigan has also been effective in close games under Dusty May over the past two seasons, posting a 19-5 record in games decided by four points or fewer. After the 71-67 result against Ohio State, Michigan is 6-1 this season in games decided by four points or fewer.
Individually, Mara has shot 31-for-41 (75. 6 percent) from the field and is 12-for-12 at the free-throw line over the last six games. He has grabbed five rebounds or more in 14 of his last 15 games and needs 18 blocks to become the first Wolverine to record 100 in a season.
Morez Johnson Jr. has gone 5-for-8 (62. 5 percent) from three-point range over the last four games and has pulled down five rebounds or more in 14 of his last 17 games, including five games with 10 or more rebounds. Cadeau leads Michigan with 178 assists (5. 6 per game) and has recorded five or more in 13 of the last 14 games. Trey McKenney leads the Wolverines with 54 made three-pointers and has hit 11 threes on 24 attempts (45. 8 percent) over the last five games.
The semifinal winner will move on to the Big Ten Tournament championship game, with wisconsin vs michigan providing one more high-stakes rematch at the United Center.
