Greg Gard lauds Wisconsin's offense after dominant 1st half vs. Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament

Wisconsin took a 21-point lead into the half over Maryland in the Badgers’ Big Ten Tournament opener on Thursday afternoon, burying the Terrapins with a barrage from deep and oodles of assists. Head coach Greg Gard was more than pleased with the effort going into the break.

Leading 47-26, Gard spoke briefly with the Big Ten Network about what went so well for his team. Gard looked beyond the 10 made 3s in the first half and singled out a different figure: 14 first half assists.

“Well we’re sharing the ball,” Gard said. “The assists being that high, we’re moving it, we’re playing inside out. We’ve had a lot of guys step up and help us and we need to continue to do more of that in the second half.”

At the half, all five of the Wisconsin starters had scored in double figures as the team was shooting 64% from the field.

A pair of players led the scoring for the Badgers in the first half, with Steven Crowl dominating from inside out and making 6-of-7 in the first half, including going 2-for-2 on 3s, for 14 points

But perhaps even more impressive was the other top scorer who matched Crowl’s 14 points: True freshman guard John Blackwell, who went 5-for-7 in the frame and a perfect 4-for-4 from 3. He also added four rebounds.

Speaking of Blackwell’s early success, Gard paid him a rather strong compliment.

“He’s been a huge lift for us all year. He’s not a freshman anymore,” Gard said.

Odds and predictions had Wisconsin and Maryland playing a close game

Wisconsin entered as a 3.5-point favorite over Maryland on Thursday, according to FanDuel. The over-under for the game was 132.5.

The two teams previously squared off in February in a close contest in Madison. Wisconsin held on for the 74-70 victory in that game thanks to 18 points from Tyler Wahl.

Final score predictions for Maryland vs. Wisconsin

KenPom predicted final score: Wisconsin 68, Maryland 65
KenPom win probability (for Wisconsin): 62%

The KenPom metrics also give Wisconsin a strong chance of pulling off a victory over Maryland in the rematch. The Badgers have an 62% win probability, according to KenPom, but are only projected to win by one possession in what could be a close game.

Wisconsin entered Thursday ranked No. 22 in the overall KenPom rankings and has the 18th-best adjusted offense. Maryland also checks in as a top-60 KenPom team, coming in at No. 54 in the overall rankings.

How to watch Maryland vs. Wisconsin

Time: 2 p.m. ET
Channel: Big Ten Network, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Minneapolis, Minn.

Thursday’s game between Wisconsin and Maryland will air on the Big Ten Network from the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Terrapins won their first game of the week against Rutgers on Wednesday to set up another game against the Badgers in the second round of the Big Ten tournament.

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Wisconsin is the No. 5 seed in the tournament field, although the regular season ended with just three wins in the last 11 games. Maryland had that same record during that span, and the Terps’ win over Rutgers snapped a three-game losing streak.