Wisconsin Badgers early struggles, big-game comebacks fueling Big Ten Tournament run

The Badgers were calloused by blowout losses and a disappointing performance in the non-conference slate. Then, they turned things around. Now, they're a team that prides themselves on relentlessness

Mar 13, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) reacts after scoring against the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

CHICAGO -- It would have been easy to write off the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday afternoon.

They were without starting center Nolan Winter and key bench piece Jack Janicki, facing off against a physically dominant Illinois team that had been plagued by injuries when the two teams met for the first time in February.

It would have been even easier to count out the Badgers when they surrendered a 21-3 run in the first half, or when they trailed by 15 with under 12 minutes left in the second period.

But, like they did on multiple occasions late in the regular-season, Wisconsin fought their way back from a deficit and came away with a huge win.

Badgers' tough losses, big comebacks breed winning mentality

Wisconsin has found itself in precarious positions at several points this season. To open the campaign, the Badgers got blown out in big games and fell short in multiple matchups they were expected to win. They had to improve their connectivity and toughness, and in doing so, they made themselves into a team that can never be counted out.

"The last two, three months, it just shows how much the culture sticks at Wisconsin," sophomore forward Austin Rapp said postgame. "we’ve kind of taken that on and put it on the chin, being like ‘let’s do it. Let’s come together as a group.’ And when we’re down 15, ‘who cares, let’s put that up and let’s keep battling’ and that’s what we did tonight.”

Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, who combined for 69 of the Badgers 91 points, were at the center of the comeback and have been two of the team's leaders throughout the season.

Best backcourt in America 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/n9TkgZmjIu

— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 13, 2026

Related: Early technical sparks Nick Boyd and John Blackwell in Wisconsin Badgers' upset over Illinois

But the fact is, they couldn't have done this themselves. It took growth and an open mind from players up and down the roster for Wisconsin to earn the moniker of Giant Killers.

"The results speak for themselves. They've done it. They answered the challenge. They followed the instructions of what the coaching staff put out in front of them of how we needed to get better and what it was going to entail," head coach Greg Gard said of the team's growth. "Today's another example of just the perseverance and resilience that we didn't have back in late 2025 or early 2026."

#Badgers went down 15 points and I guess they had Illinois right where they wanted them

After a 12-0 run, it's a three-point game.

— Cam Wilhorn (@CamWilhorn) March 13, 2026

That mental fortitude was built through the lows, but it was proven to be necessary for the Badgers to reach their highs.

Wisconsin erased a double-digit lead in five consecutive games spanning Jan. 25 to Feb. 10, and held on to win in three of those games. They came back from down 14 to defeat the Wolverines earlier in January, as well.

“I think we got to a point (where) we know when we’re down, we have to fight to get out. And I don’t think we ever get worried when we go down now," Braeden Carrington said. "We go into those huddles and we’re like bro ‘don’t even worry about it,’ you know? There’s so much time on the clock that it’s just like calm, cool and collected”

Being able to handle opponents runs and momentum swings is especially important in the postseason, where emotions are running high and stakes are elevated.

The Badgers have proved time and time again that, even when the crowd and momentum is against them, they're more than capable of swinging momentum back in their favor by remaining level-headed.

John Blackwell on the adversity the #Badgers faced today:

"I think we just handled it correctly. They took a run and the crowd got into it, crowd got hyped. I saw Nick smiling, I put a smile on my face like, we're good, we're gonna be just fine."

— Cam Wilhorn (@CamWilhorn) March 14, 2026

For Carrington, that's just one of the perks of playing in the Big Ten, and it's paying dividends for the Badgers.

"Things can go left real quick (in win-or-go-home games), but I think having some of these away games playing in the Big Ten, like playing at Michigan, at Purdue, all that. I think that kind of helped us. That just made us stronger as a team and it made us more connected."

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