WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Tyler Wahl’s career at the Kohl Center ended with 12.1 seconds left Thursday night, but the University of Wisconsin forward still had more to say.

The Badgers had just put the finishing touches on a 78-66 victory over Rutgers when Wahl asked for a public address microphone. Speaking from center court, he thanked his mom and dad for coming to so many of his games, the coaches for believing he could become a key contributor at the Big Ten level, and God for giving him the talent to play basketball.

He only got choked up once when he mentioned the brotherhood of him and his teammates. It should have come as no surprise that guard Chucky Hepburn was the first to give him a bear hug after he concluded his remarks, with the rest of the team following close behind.

“I think the chemistry of our team really helps,” Wahl said. “We’ve got a lot of close guys together, and we’re not afraid to just tell someone what they see.”

That’s been the key for Wisconsin during a season of high peaks and low valleys, where the Badgers entered February with a 16-4 record, ranked sixth in the country, and tied for first place in the Big Ten. March began with them unranked, losing six of eight and struggling to regain a foothold.

But as UW continued to return to the gym after the defeats, there was a common belief that success would return if they stuck with it and didn’t fracture.

“On the court, it’s got to be every day,” Wahl said. “That’s been my main thing this year. Whether it’s five days before a game, or it’s the day before, or shootaround on the day of, we got to show up, we got to work towards something. We can’t have a lackadaisical practice where the scout team beats us or something. Every day.”

It’s too early to tell but the win over Rutgers may have been the turning point they had been searching for. Boosted by the return of reserve Kamari McGee from a toe injury, Wisconsin’s victory showed signs of the players executing a winning formula.

UW was efficient offensively by averaging 1.16 points per possession and putting four players in double figures for the third straight game. Seven different Badgers have reached double figures during the three games, including John Blackwell (two) and McGee (one) off the bench. UW’s bench was responsible for 28 points against Rutgers, its biggest total in the past nine games.

The Badgers were on point defensively in holding Rutgers under a point per possession in each half, finishing at .943 points per possession, and recording 14 steals for the first time in 11 seasons.

UW also out-rebounded Rutgers, 39-31, including 13-8 on the offensive glass.

“One thing about this group is we’ve gone through tougher times, and they haven’t broke,” head coach Greg Gard said. “They keep practicing well … They haven’t flinched and felt sorry for themselves. They understand this is part of the journey to continue to get yourself out of the predicament you’re in and continue to get better. The next 40 minutes is what we need to focus on.”

Wahl was quiet in his final home game (three points, six rebounds, four steals, four turnovers) but that has been a rarity. Given the opportunity to play a fifth season due to the NCAA’s COVID waiver, his choice was grounded in several areas. The coaching staff sold him on trying to become the first UW student-athlete to win three Big Ten championships, but Wahl felt he left unfinished business on the table after an ankle injury disrupted a season heading toward all-conference status.

Asserting himself early in the season, earning Tournament MVP of the Fort Myers Tip-Off, Wahl ranks second on the team in scoring (11.7 pts), rebounds (5.9), and steals (25) in Big Ten play, also leading the team in blocks (12) and third in assists (39).

Wahl had one of his best games of the season against No.2 Purdue a month ago: leading the Badgers in all five major statistical categories: 20 pts (10-16 FG), seven rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

“I live by the saying, ‘leave it better than how you found it,’ and I believe Tyler has done that to the most extent,” guard Max Klesmit said. “He’s taught me things at a different level. It’s been really fun to work with 'T' for the last two years. I wish it would have been a lot more.”

Unlike this time a year ago, Wisconsin (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) should feel secure heading into its final regular season game at Purdue (27-3, 16-3) with where it stands with its NCAA Tournament berth.

Playing the sixth-toughest schedule in the country this season, Wisconsin is No.22 in the NCAA NET and KenPom rankings (through March 8), owning five Quad 1 wins and 12 Quad 1+2 wins, the latter making them one of only 12 teams in the country with that distinction.

The Boilermakers are also on that list, as the outright Big Ten champions are 9-0 against teams in the top 25 of the NET rankings, leads the country in quad-1 wins (11) and quad-1 and 2 wins combined (17), and ranks in the NCAA's top 20 in 3-point percentage (1st), off. efficiency (2nd), rebound margin (2nd), wins (3rd), assists per game (5th), scoring margin (10th), scoring offense (11th), field goal percentage (14th), fewest fouls per game (16th) and assist / turnover ratio (16th).

It’s the ultimate final test for Wisconsin before returning to the postseason, a task they feel prepared for.

“There’s five guys on the court,” Wahl said. “If the guards don’t play well one night, we’re probably going to lose that game. If the bigs don’t play well, we’re probably going to lose it. But it takes all of us. I definitely like the challenge that we’ve taken.”

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