MADISON, Wis. – Michigan 7-footers Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf were working on creating a nickname for their tandem, a partnership that could potentially cause matchup nightmares throughout the Big Ten schedule.

Here’s one they can workshop - Badger Bashers.

Goldin and Wolf controlled the low post, picked apart Wisconsin’s defensive mistakes, and made Wisconsin center Steven Crowl a non-factor in a 67-64 victory at the Kohl Center.

It was a disappointing setback for the Badgers (8-1, 0-1 Big Ten), which shut down Michigan guards but struggled to hit open shots consistently against the Wolverines' top-10-rated defense. It doesn’t get any easier for the Badgers considering No.5 Marquette has a defense that is rated five spots better than the Wolverines.

“I think we’re going to respond great,” guard John Blackwell said. “We have a great group of vets who have been through this. You’re not going to win every game. We’re going to be just fine. We’re going to build off this loss, take it on the chin, and keep moving forward.”

Here are my takeaways from the Kohl Center.

In a battle of teams with 7-foot frontcourts, it was no contest.

Wolf is described as a 7-foot point guard because of how he handles basketball. Goldin is all muscle in the low post. Together, they pummeled Wisconsin relentlessly in the second half once Crowl got into foul trouble and created a mismatch problem.

Wolf was active early with nine points, six rebounds, and five blocks. Goldin struggled around the rim in going 2-for-7. Both players exploited UW’s interior with Wolf going 4-for-6 with five assists and Goldin going 7-for-9, mostly on dunks at the rim. The duo scored 28 of Michigan’s 41 second-half points and 44 of its 67, as Crowl and Winter got lost guarding the pick-and-roll or not creating enough resistance on the player rolling toward the basket.

That was evident late as Goldin got behind Wisconsin’s defense for easy baskets at the rim to allow Michigan to answer UW’s offense and take control over the final three minutes.

“We weren’t physical enough,” forward Nolan Winter said. “We weren’t intent on the ball screen with what we were doing. It’s on both of us as bigs. We know it. We know we’ve got to be better, and Steven knows he’s got to be out of foul trouble. We need him out there and the presence he brings us. It’s poor communication.

“They’re two great 7-footers coming off ball screens. They know what they’re doing, but we got to handle that a lot better.”

Crowl and Winter were hoping Tuesday would be their big coming-out party. The end of the first half showed some promise. With John Tonje on the bench because of foul trouble for the final 6:02, Crowl and Winter helped the Badgers go on a 13-6 run entering the half largely by creating and finding space.

Blackwell drew a double team on the low block and split with a bounce pass to Crowl for an easy finish off the glass. Kamari McGee successfully probed the double team as well, drawing Goldin away from the basket to stop dribble penetration before bouncing a pass to Winter. With guard Tre Donaldson late on the switch, Winter had an easy dunk at the rim. With Blackwell leading the break on the next possession, the sophomore attacked the right block, drew the double team, and passed to Winter for another slam.

That allowed Wisconsin to take a six-point lead in the locker room, even though the Badgers shot 32.3 percent in the first half. A lot of those actions were cut off in the second half, as the Badgers went 4-for-14 around the rim and UW’s duo was only 1-for-4 from the floor.

The defensive miscues don’t all fall on the forwards. Wisconsin guards struggled at times guarding rollers and winning individual matchups. The Badgers held Michigan to 6-for-25 from three-point range, but the 18-9 run to start the second half was created by Michigan attacking the paint and converting, wiping out UW’s six-point halftime lead.

“They’re both vets and have been around this for a while,” said Winter, as Michigan shot 61.5 percent in the second half. “Their games really complement each other well. The ball screens created some issues for our defense. They executed really well and they're both really talented, find one another and finish.”

Tonje led Wisconsin in scoring for the seventh time with 18 points (12 in the second half), but the senior didn’t play in control as he’s done in many games throughout the season. Blackwell was a different story with 16 points and nine rebounds, including his work creating off the offensive glass

Blackwell had four offensive rebounds through the first seven games of the season and equaled that total against Michigan, including two on a stretch that showed he’s on his way to becoming the future of Wisconsin’s program.

On consecutive second-half possessions, Blackwell boxed out guard Roddy Gayle Jr. on three-point attempts, secured the loose ball, and finished at the rim. When he hit a step-back jumper on the next trip, Blackwell’s 6-0 run gave UW a 47-44 lead.

UW finished with 16 offensive rebounds that led to 12 second-chance points, a big boost for a team that entered the night 291st nationally in offensive rebounding (9.0 per game).

“His ability to gobble up offensive rebounders and finish in there,” head coach Greg Gard said. “He played a lot of minutes. We needed him on the floor. He did a lot of good things in the second half.”

Blackwell didn’t play perfectly, which his season-high five turnovers would indicate. UW was well under the 17.3 turnovers Michigan forced a game, but the 10 UW turnovers led to 13 Michigan points.

Gard vividly remembered how Max Klesmit drove into the lane and made a play in the paint with a turnaround jumper, putting the Badgers up 64-61 with 2:37 remaining. He likely remembers it because it was the last point UW scored or because it was Klesmit’s only second-half field goal.

Klesmit went 3-for-14 from the floor and 1-for-9 from three, numbers that aren’t pretty but better than his second-half stat line of 1-for-9 and 0-for-6.

The senior missed shots on three consecutive possessions that would have tied the game or put Wisconsin ahead. He badly missed one and barely drew iron on another.

“I think they are good shots, honestly,” Blackwell said. “Max, Kamari, JT, keep shooting the ball. They are great looks. They are going to fall sooner. I was fine with our looks. We just got to get back in the gym and get more reps.”

Wisconsin shot a season-worst 18.8 percent (6-for-27) on threes, a lack of perimeter success that prevented the Badgers from spreading the floor. Not spreading Michigan out prevented the Badgers from attacking gaps and getting to the free throw line, where they went 14-for-19 (the third-fewest makes of the season).

Gard thought Wisconsin forced at least one possession down the stretch, but that Klesmit had open looks. Klesmit’s three-point miss with 22 seconds left was originally supposed to be a possession where the Badgers went for two, but Blackwell drew two defenders and kicked the ball out to the senior.

“Max has made those shots before,” Gard said. “He’s in a slump right now. We got to help him get out of it.”

Gard also bemoaned Winter’s missed free throw with UW down three in three seconds left. With the plan to make the first and miss the second, Gard said UW practiced the exact scenario on Monday and executed the drill.

But the bigger worry is Klesmit, who is shooting career-worst overall (32.6 percent) and from three-point range (25.4). Over the last four games, Klesmit is 9-for-39 from the floor (23.1 percent) and 5-for-28 from the perimeter (17.9).

“You got to keep shooting,” Gard said. “Work on it. You can’t be hesitant, can’t be gun shy. You got to keep working stuff in practice, getting extra shots, just got to work your way out of it.”

21.2 – Michigan’s first-half shooting percentage. The Wolverines finished at 39.0 percent after going 16-for-26 in the second half.

7:42 – Number of minutes the Wolverines went without a field goal to end the first half

3:02 – Longest field goal drought for Michigan in the second half

19 – Fast break points for Michigan, which outscored the Badgers by 15 in transition

5 – Shot attempts by Crowl, only three of which came from two-point range.

3 – Michigan’s winning streak in the series, tied for the longest against the Badgers since 2000.

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