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On January 10, 2026, the University of Wisconsin–Madison men’s basketball team delivered one of the most impactful results of the young college season, shocking previously unbeaten No. 2 Michigan 91–88 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. Michigan entered the day at 14–0 overall and 4–0 in Big Ten play, riding national-title buzz and sitting just one point behind Arizona for the top spot in the Associated Press poll. Wisconsin, 10–5 and unranked, arrived as a dangerous but clear underdog.
Behind a 15-three-pointer barrage, a 26-point night from emerging star guard John Blackwell, and a controversial basket-interference call against Michigan center Aday Mara in the final minute, the Badgers flipped the script on a Wolverine team that had been steamrolling ranked opponents. The result not only gave the Wolverines their first loss of the 2025–26 campaign, it also jolted the AP Top 25 and tightened an already competitive Big Ten race.
For much of the first half, the game looked like another Michigan showcase. Powered by forward Morez Johnson Jr. and big man Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines seized control in the paint and on the glass. Their interior scoring and rebounding helped them build a 31–17 lead midway through the opening period, feeding a raucous Crisler Center crowd that had grown accustomed to blowouts.
Wisconsin’s defense struggled to contain Michigan’s size and physicality at the rim, and the Badgers fell behind in most of the hustle categories. Given the Wolverines’ recent history of dominance, there was every indication that this might become another lopsided win. According to Michigan’s own postgame notes, the team had just become the first in the AP poll era to win three straight games over ranked opponents by at least 30 points, underscoring how imposing this 14–0 start had been.
Everything changed when Wisconsin guard John Blackwell seized control of the game’s tempo. The sophomore guard repeatedly attacked off the dribble, using ball screens and isolation opportunities to get into the lane or create enough separation on the perimeter to score. He poured in 16 of his eventual 26 points before halftime, almost singlehandedly stabilizing the Badgers’ offense.
As Blackwell heated up, Wisconsin’s defense finally settled in. The Badgers closed the half with a 10–0 run, holding Michigan scoreless for the final three minutes and fifty-three seconds. Timely switching, better help-side rotations, and improved rebounding helped choke off the Wolverines’ early rhythm.
By the break, what had looked like a runaway had become a one-possession contest. Michigan’s lead was trimmed to just 38–37, and the atmosphere in the arena shifted from confident to tense. The Badgers had climbed all the way back, and they were poised to deliver a defining second-half punch.
The beginning of the second half turned the upset into a realistic possibility. Freshman forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, who had been averaging roughly four points per game entering the day, delivered a breakout performance that will be remembered in Madison for years.
In the first three minutes after halftime, Bieliauskas knocked down four consecutive three-pointers. Those shots came as part of a staggering Wisconsin surge in which the Badgers made their first nine field-goal attempts of the half and connected on seven straight threes. What had been a narrow deficit quickly turned into a Wisconsin lead, with the Badgers flipping the scoreboard to go up 59–55.
By game’s end, Wisconsin had hit 15 three-pointers, becoming the first team in more than nine years to make at least that many in a single game against Michigan. That kind of perimeter efficiency, combined with smart spacing and unselfish ball movement, underscored how dangerous the Badgers’ offense can be when multiple shooters get hot.
While Blackwell powered much of the first-half comeback and Bieliauskas ignited the early second-half run, guard Nick Boyd provided a crucial secondary scoring punch throughout the night. Boyd finished with 22 points, attacking off the dribble, hitting threes, and consistently forcing Michigan to stretch its defense.
His ability to create his own shot and occupy help defenders made it more difficult for the Wolverines to load up on Blackwell. In the final minutes, Boyd’s poise in the half court helped Wisconsin generate clean looks and protect its slim advantage.
Despite the three-point storm, Michigan did not break. Point guard Elliot Cadeau took full command of the Wolverines’ offense after halftime, scoring all 19 of his points in the second half. His quickness and playmaking fueled a stretch in which Michigan hit seven straight field goals, erasing the Badgers’ lead and knotting the score at 65–65.
Johnson and Lendeborg continued to be issues inside. Johnson finished with 18 points, and Lendeborg added 14 points and six rebounds, using their size to punish mismatches and second-chance opportunities. Guard Nimari Burnett contributed 10 points, giving Michigan another perimeter scoring option.
The second half evolved into a classic Big Ten battle, featuring seven ties and five lead changes. Every possession took on heightened importance as both teams traded punches in front of a crowd that sensed it was witnessing one of the season’s pivotal games.
With just over four minutes left and the game still hanging in the balance, Michigan wing Roddy Gayle Jr. delivered what looked like a potentially decisive shot. From the left corner, Gayle buried a three-pointer to push the Wolverines ahead 84–83, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
At that point, it felt like Michigan’s depth, size, and experience in close games might carry them through another test. Instead, Wisconsin calmly answered with one more scoring burst of its own.
After Gayle’s corner three, Wisconsin refused to panic. The Badgers returned to their patient half-court sets, spreading the floor with shooters and using ball screens to force tough decisions from Michigan’s defense.
The critical blow came from guard Andrew Rohde. In the final three minutes, Rohde stepped into a three-pointer that splashed through and pushed Wisconsin ahead 88–84. That shot shifted the pressure entirely back onto Michigan and underscored how many different Badgers were ready to take big shots on the road.
Michigan responded by extending its defense and attacking quickly, with Cadeau and Johnson drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line. Their makes trimmed the deficit to a single possession as the clock approached the final minute.
With the Badgers clinging to a two-point lead, the game turned on one of its most dramatic and controversial sequences. Michigan’s Roddy Gayle Jr. drove hard to the rim, his layup attempt rolling off the iron. Waiting above the fray was 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, who tapped in the miss for what initially appeared to be the game-tying basket.
Officials immediately whistled basket interference, ruling that Mara had touched the ball while it was still on the cylinder. The Crisler Center crowd erupted in disbelief as referees went to the monitor for video review. After a lengthy look, the original call was upheld, wiping the points off the board and preserving Wisconsin’s narrow advantage.
That decision became the defining officiating moment of the night and a focal point in postgame conversations. Regardless of how fans interpreted the replay, the outcome was clear: Michigan remained behind, and Wisconsin had the ball with a chance to ice the upset.
On the ensuing long inbounds play, Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington leaked free, received the pass, and was fouled. He calmly converted both free throws to extend the lead. After splitting another pair later in the final seconds, the Badgers held a three-point edge with 9.6 seconds remaining.
Michigan’s last chance came on a contested three-point attempt from Gayle. The shot hit iron and bounced away as the buzzer sounded, sealing Wisconsin’s 91–88 victory and setting off a celebration on the Badgers’ bench.
Beyond the box score, the win carried major historical weight for Wisconsin–Madison. According to game accounts and postgame notes, the victory marked the Badgers’ highest-ranked regular-season win since they also knocked off a second-ranked Michigan team in 2019. It was also their first road victory over an Associated Press top-two opponent since a win at Maryland in 2016.
For 11th-year head coach Greg Gard, the result reaffirmed the program’s staying power in the Big Ten and nationally. Wisconsin improved to 11–5 overall and 3–2 in conference play with the upset, while snapping what Michigan’s athletic department described as the Wolverines’ best season start since 2018–19.
The performance highlighted an offensive ceiling built around spacing, three-point shooting, and multiple ball handlers. Shooting 14-of-18 from the field in the second half and drilling 15 threes overall illustrated just how dangerous Wisconsin can be when its perimeter attack is rolling. Combined with Blackwell’s star turn and the scoring balance from Boyd and Bieliauskas, the Badgers showed the kind of versatility that translates in March.
The implications of Wisconsin’s 91–88 win extended far beyond Ann Arbor. A week earlier, Arizona had edged Michigan by a single point in the AP Top 25 poll to retain the No. 1 ranking. Michigan’s loss erased any question about which team deserved the top line.
In the poll released on January 12, Arizona remained unbeaten and became a near-unanimous No. 1. Iowa State moved up to No. 2, while Michigan slid to No. 4 despite its still-strong 14–1 record, as reported by outlets such as FOX Sports. Wisconsin did not immediately crack the Top 25, but the Badgers appeared among the teams receiving votes, a clear sign that voters respected the difficulty and quality of a road win over an undefeated top-two opponent.
This kind of movement underscores how a single marquee result can quickly reshape the national narrative. For athletes and families tracking national perception and strength-of-schedule, games like Wisconsin–Michigan influence everything from bracketology projections to television exposure later in the season.
If there were concerns about an emotional letdown after the upset in Ann Arbor, Wisconsin quickly dismissed them. Just three days later, the Badgers traveled north to Minneapolis and earned another dramatic road win, 78–75 over Minnesota, on a deep buzzer-beating three from Blackwell.
According to reports from national outlets and game recaps, Blackwell buried a 25-foot shot at the horn to sink the Gophers, pushing Wisconsin to 12–5 overall and 4–2 in the Big Ten. That sequence reinforced his rapid rise from key contributor to late-game closer and likely elevated his profile among scouts and opposing coaches alike.
Back-to-back tight road wins, each decided in the final possession, showcased Wisconsin’s resilience and composure. For a program with substantial recent NCAA tournament experience, these January tests can become crucial reference points when the stakes climb in March.
Within the Big Ten, Wisconsin’s win over Michigan tightened an already crowded race. The Wolverines, previously unbeaten and cruising, suddenly looked more vulnerable. Programs like Purdue, Nebraska, Illinois, and Wisconsin itself are now jostling to position themselves for both the regular-season title and favorable NCAA tournament seeding.
The Big Ten is no stranger to parity and grind-it-out schedules, but an unranked team toppling a near-No. 1 on the road is a reminder that margins are thin. For recruits and their families evaluating conference fits, the January landscape shows that:
For prospective student-athletes, understanding how quickly narratives can flip is part of evaluating where they might thrive. A school that starts slowly can surge with the right rotations and player development, while an early powerhouse can stumble in a single high-profile matchup.
From a recruiting and development perspective, Wisconsin’s road upset over Michigan sends several clear messages to high school and portal prospects:
Resources like the NCAA’s official men’s basketball pages and program bios on NCAA.com help provide additional perspective on conference strength, historical results, and tournament performance for prospects doing deeper research.
For athletes, parents, and club or high school coaches, results like Wisconsin’s 91–88 win over Michigan are more than just entertainment. They serve as case studies in program identity, coaching style, and competitive culture.
When watching or rewatching a game of this magnitude, prospects can ask:
Tools like the Pathley College Directory make it easier to pair what you see in televised or streamed games with concrete program details, including location, level, and basic context. From there, you can use AI-powered assistants such as Pathley Chat to compare schools, build an initial target list, and explore how your academic and athletic profile lines up with different levels of college basketball.
While the spotlight here belongs to Wisconsin’s upset in Ann Arbor, prospects drawn to the Madison area have more than one option. In addition to a major public research institution like the University of Wisconsin–Madison, smaller campuses can offer different community feels, academic focuses, and role opportunities.
One example is Edgewood University, also located in Madison. Though it competes at a different level than Wisconsin, Edgewood can appeal to recruits looking for smaller class sizes, a tighter-knit community, or a different balance between academics and athletics. Exploring multiple options within the same city can help athletes compare campus culture, coaching philosophies, and off-court support systems more directly.
For Wisconsin, the immediate priority after a win like this is sustaining the level of focus and execution seen in Ann Arbor and Minneapolis. Big Ten play is unforgiving, and the scouting reports will adjust quickly to Blackwell’s scoring, Bieliauskas’ shooting, and Boyd’s creation. How the Badgers respond to being scouted as a rising threat rather than an under-the-radar opponent will shape their seeding and expectations in March.
Michigan, meanwhile, faces a different test: learning from its first setback after a perfect start. The Wolverines still own one of the country’s strongest resumes and a top-five ranking, but the loss adds urgency to correcting defensive breakdowns and late-game execution details. For prospects watching Michigan, the response to adversity can be just as revealing as a long winning streak.
Not every athlete will play in a game that reshapes the AP Top 25, but the path to the right college fit often starts with understanding programs like Wisconsin and Michigan from multiple angles. That includes on-court style, academic offerings, campus life, and realistic opportunity to contribute.
With tools like the Pathley College Directory and AI-powered guidance from Pathley Chat, athletes can go beyond box scores and rankings to:
When you are ready to take the next step, you can create a free Pathley profile, organize your school list, and start to write your own version of a season-changing upset story at the college level.
For now, Wisconsin’s 91–88 road win over No. 2 Michigan stands as one of the defining results of the 2025–26 men’s college basketball season: a reminder that in the Big Ten, and in recruiting, expectations can change in a single unforgettable night.
