After a Friday full of upsets, it’s safe to say that March Madness is in full swing. However, not so much in the East Region where the bracket has been all chalk.
One of Saturday’s most intriguing match-ups features the #4 Wisconsin Badgers and #5 Vanderbilt Commodores.
Contrasting styles should have the Badgers (25-9) and Commodores (25-10) battling it out all the way to the end.
Wisconsin Badgers Synopsis: The Montana Grizzlies had no answer for the Badgers who lit it up in a 24 point win in the second round (aka first round) of the NCAA Tournament. Ryan Evans (18 points), Jordan Taylor (17), Josh Gasser (12) and Rob Wilson (10) showed how dangerous the Badgers can be when they receive balanced scoring on the offensive end. Meanwhile, the Badgers did what they usually do on the defensive end and made the Grizzlies their 13th opponent held under 50 points this season (13-0 in those games). Big man Jerad Berggren had seven blocks.
Vanderbilt Commodores Synopsis: The Commodores know how to fill it up as they have one of the best three-point shooters in the country. Junior guard John Jenkins (pictured above) averages 3.88 three pointers per game and connected on three in their second round win over Harvard. Jenkins isn’t their only star as senior Jeffery Taylor is one of the SEC’s most underrated players. Vanderbilt is one of the nation’s hottest teams, winning eight of their last ten and their last four, including a win over #1 ranked Kentucky in the SEC Championship game.
The Match-Up: Both the Commodores and Badgers have decent depth and a lot of balance. On any given night, they have numerous guys who can produce double-digits in the box score. Athletically, the edge has to go to Vanderbilt who has the versatile guards in Jenkins and Brad Tinsley. Even though the Badgers played in the Big Ten this season, Vandy played a much better schedule and ultimately are the more battle-tested team. I would expect this game to be played at a faster tempo than the Badgers would like and will come down to which team can make the higher percentage of shots from behind the arc.
Odds and Ends: Wisconsin and Vanderbilt shared one common opponent this season. Marquette beat the Badgers 61-54 at the Kohl Center and fell to the Commodores 74-57 at home. The game is set for 5:10 CT and will be televised on TNT.
What are you expecting of the Wisconsin/Vanderbilt match-up in the third round of the NCAA Tournament? Let me know by commenting below!
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers, Green Bay Packers, and Milwaukee Brewers. He also enjoys to share Fantasy Advice from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best.