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Key takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers' 104-83 throttling of Providence

The Badgers rebounded from a 28-point loss by blowing out the Friars in impressive fashion
Cam Wilhorn|
Nov 27, 2025; San Diego, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) reacts with Wisconsin Badgers forward Austin Rapp (22) after scoring against the Providence Friars during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Nov 27, 2025; San Diego, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) reacts with Wisconsin Badgers forward Austin Rapp (22) after scoring against the Providence Friars during the second half at Jenny Craig Pavilion. | Abe Arredondo-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers spent their Thanksgiving in San Diego for the Rady Children's Invitational.

And they had plenty to be thankful for Thursday night.

Wisconsin erupted for 104 points, its most in a game since hanging 115 points on Iowa last season.

On the defensive side, the Badgers slowed down a potent Friars offense, and never took their foot off the gas.

Wisconsin didn't trail during the contest, closing with a 104-83 victory to advance to the Championship Game against TCU on Friday.

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Badgers bounce back from BYU blowout

After falling to BYU in Salt Lake City by 28 points, Greg Gard and Nolan Winter pointed to Wisconsin's lack of toughness and rebounding efforts.

Said Gard, "if you have a level of toughness about you, you're going to make -- you'll find a way to get stops and you'll find a way to clean up the offensive glass."

Wisconsin answered the challenge, outrebounding Providence 43-35 and pulling down 14 offensive rebounds.

And after yielding 98 points to BYU, Wisconsin held Providence well under its season average of 93.2 points.

Sophomore forward Austin Rapp embodied the Badgers' growth in both categories.

Rapp went 0-for-7 from the field and didn't log a single rebound against BYU. He got caught watching on defense on several occasions as well.

Rapp delivered 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks against Providence. He remained engaged on defense and pursued rebounds aggressively.

Beyond that, Rapp's shot finally fell. The stretch forward entered the contest shooting 7-of-27 (25.9 percent) from three-point range. He went 5-for-11 from beyond the arc Thursday, including trio of three-pointers in the final 1:20 of the first half.

Nick Boyd anchors offense

Boyd is in his fifth season of college basketball and has played in seven NCAA Tournament games. As a seasoned point guard, he provides a level of stability to the Wisconsin offense.

Wisconsin had some less-than-pleasant offensive possessions early in Thursday's contest. Between bad passes, a lack of ball movement and settling for jumpers, the Badgers' half-court offense dragged at times.

When the offense slowed, Boyd sped up. Coming off an outlet pass or a steal, Boyd sprinted down the court, outrunning the defense for easy layups. When Providence managed to stop Boyd, he had no difficulties finding the open man.

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His early efforts kept Wisconsin afloat, a regular occurrence this season. Boyd's ability to go coast-to-coast and find easy looks at the basket has snapped dry spells and sparked momentum.

Past being an opportune scorer, Boyd flat out took over Thursday.

He delivered a career-high 33 points, punishing Providence at the rim and on the perimeter. He doled out a season-high seven assists without turning the ball over.

Boyd's impact helped offset another off night from John Blackwell. Blackwell finished with 11 points, but he went 2-for-10 from the field and didn't make a field goal until there was less than 10 minutes remaining.

Wisconsin controls pace of game

Providence came into the contest ranked 24th in adjusted tempo according to KenPom. Wisconsin, despite playing faster than they have in years, stood over 100 spots below the Friars.

Yet, it was the Badgers who pushed the pace Thursday night, forcing Providence into ample offensive mistakes, which became fastbreak points for Wisconsin.

The Badgers pressured the Friars' ball-handlers constantly and sped them up mentally. That resulted in errant passes and poor decisions, which the Badgers capitalized on.

Wisconsin led Providence 19-1 in fastbreak points during the first half and forced nine Friar turnovers. Providence averaged 10.7 turnovers per game.

That pressure, paired with a 19-point halftime lead, put Providence in a position where they had to play catch-up.

18 of Providence's 35 second-half shot attempts came from beyond the arc, a welcome sight for the Badgers as the Friars came into the contest making just 30.6 percent of its three-pointers.

Despite holding a large advantage, Wisconsin continued to apply pressure on the Friars' defense. The Badgers made 10 of their 15 two-point attempts in the second half and had an assist on 12 of 18 made baskets -- which proved to be too much for Providence to overcome.

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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