The Wisconsin Badgers needed a prayer. And that prayer was answered on Friday night as the Illinois Fighting Illini beat the Purdue Boilermakers 88-80, moving the latter to 13-7 in Big Ten play.
Now, with a win against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday, the Badgers can clinch a top four seed and the coveted double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament next week, earning an extra day of rest.
So, how did we get here and how does that impact Saturday?
Well, coming into the weekend, the Badgers were standing in fifth place in the Big Ten standings, falling last in a three-way tiebreaker with the Boilermakers and the Maryland Terrapins.