2022 NCAA Tournament First Round: No. 3 Wisconsin Badgers vs. No. 14 Colgate Raiders
How to Watch:
- Date: Friday, March 18
- Time: 9:50 p.m. ET
- Location: Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI
- TV: TBS
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 3 WISC | STAT | No. 14 COL |
| Big Ten | Conference | Patriot |
| 24-7 | Record | 27-7 |
| 70.7 (160th) | Points Per Game | 76.1 (59th) |
| 66.5 | Points Allowed Per Game | 67.1 |
| 0.6142 (17th) | RPI | 0.5164 (140th) |
| 19th | Strength of Schedule | 338th |
| At-Large Bid | Bid | Automatic Bid |
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Wisconsin leaders:
- Johnny Davis, G, SR: 19.7 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.1 SPG
- Brad Davison, G, SR: 14.5 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
Colgate leaders:
- Nelly Cummings, G, SR: 14.5 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG
- Tucker Richarson, G, SR: 12.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG
Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- WISC Moneyline: -350
- COL Moneyline: +270
- Spread: WISC -8
- Over/Under: 139.5
- ATS Record: WISC 17-14, COL 17-15-1
- Over/Under Record: WISC 19-12, COL 16-17
Odds courtesy of Draftkings. For the latest odds, click here.
The Pick:
- Everybody seems to want to pick on the Badgers, but this is a team that won the Big Ten regular-season and has made the Sweet 16 ten times in the last 21 tournaments. They are KenPom’s 33rd-ranked team with both an offense and defense that ranks inside the top 50 in efficiency.
- Yes, the Badgers struggled with two losses to end the season, but the talent discrepancy in this game is real and it starts with Johnny Davis, who has been a revelation for the Badgers this season. I’m not sure the Raiders’ 203rd-ranked defense will have an answer for him. We’ve seen with some games already in this tournament (Teddy Allen, Hunter Dickinson) that it really only takes one dude to will his team to victory if the opponent can’t stop him.
- The Raiders also like to play relatively slow, ranking 162md in adjusted tempo, but the issue is that’s how the Badgers like to play as well, ranking 208th in tempo.
- Another feather in the Badgers’ cap is that this is not a team that beats itself. They are 2nd in the country with only 8.5 turnovers a game and 94th in the country, shooting 74.2% from the free-throw line. They are going to make you earn the victory, which is a tall order for these Raiders.
