How Wisconsin Basketball Got Here — Plus a Look at What's Next

The Badgers have been a mess the last two weeks. Here's a look at why.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program (16-8; 8-5) are past the midway point of Big Ten play, with only seven games remaining in the regular season. To this point, things were going better than expected, at least up until the calendar flipped to February. 

Since the February slate began, the Wisconsin Badgers have lost four consecutive games for the first time since 2017-18. Those losses have come through uneven defensive performances, poor ball security, and an inability to connect from beyond the arc. 

Joe Lunardi currently projects the Badgers as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament because of their early resume-building wins. But they're in danger of a steep decline if things don't turn around quickly. 

Let's break down how the Wisconsin men's basketball team got here. 

Wisconsin Is Turning the Ball Over Early and Often.

First and foremost, the Wisconsin Badgers are a program that's built a foundation of success around taking care of the basketball and making the most of each possession. 

During this four-game losing skid, they've reached double digits in turnovers three times, with the Purdue game being the only exception (5). 

Against Rutgers, Wisconsin turned the ball over 12 times. To their credit, the Badgers only had one in the second half. However, it's going to be pretty damn hard to dig yourself out of a hole on the road when you turn the ball over on 29.7% of your possessions in the first half.