The Wisconsin Badgers had another quality week, beating the Minnesota Gophers and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, as they improved to 13-5 on the season and 5-2 in conference play.
It was another starter-heavy week, although bench players like Braeden Carrington continued to provide key production. Leading the charge was star duo John Blackwell and Nick Boyd.
Blackwell had 27 points on 8/14 from the field against Minnesota, hitting five threes, including the game-winner, in a strong performance. He followed that up with 19 points on 5/13 from the field on Saturday against Rutgers, adding five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Boyd had a quieter day against Minnesota, scoring only 11 points on 2/7 from the field. Still, he maintained his streak of double figures in every game this season. Then, he erupted against Rutgers, going for 32 points and nine assists in a classic performance that got Wisconsin the victory.
Boyd was the Big Ten Player of the Week last week, when he averaged 21.0 points in wins over UCLA and Michigan, while also dishing out 5.5 assists and hauling in 5.5 rebounds on average in the two games.
This week? It’s Blackwell, who shared the honor with Maryland’s Diggy Coit after averaging 23 points. 5.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. It’s Blackwell’s second Player of the Week honor this year, as he also earned it on December 8th after averaging 28.0 points in a two-game stretch.
Wisconsin will need to see both players continue to play at a high level as it looks to gather momentum during the Big Ten schedule and improve its resume for the NCAA Tournament. So far, they’re rising up to the occasion over the last few weeks.
