Wisconsin and Arizona get together for Elite 8 Rematch
The Wisconsin Badgers and Arizona Wildcats got together for an Elite Eight battle for the ages last season. The Badgers were the No. 2 seed and the Wildcats were the No. 1 seed, but it was second-seeded Wisconsin who came away with a thrilling 64-63 victory in overtime.
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Frank Kaminsky was the star of the game, scoring 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting overall and 3-of-5 from three. Kaminsky also grabbed 11 rebounds, with seven of those coming on the offensive end. Aaron Gordon had eight points and 18 rebounds, while Nick Johnson had 16 points.
On Saturday night, Wisconsin and Arizona will meet again in an Elite Eight rematch. This time around, the Badgers are the No. 1 seed and the Wildcats are the No. 2 seed. Most of the faces on Wisconsin are the same, but there will be some different faces for Arizona. Gordon and Johnson are gone, with Stanley Johnson taking over Gordon’s role as the stud freshman. Also, Brandon Ashley is healthy this time around after missing the tournament last year with an injury.
Both teams had tough games in the Sweet 16 before coming away victorious. Wisconsin was on the ropes in the second half against North Carolina, but Sam Dekker stepped up big and helped lead the Badgers to a 79-72 victory. Dekker scored 23 points in the win, while Kaminsky rebounded from a slow start to finish with 19 points.
Meanwhile, Arizona was tied with Xavier at halftime before coming away with a 68-60 win. T.J. McConnell led the way with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Johnson started hot with 10 points in the first half, only to score two points the rest of the way.
This game will be a battle of one of the best offenses in the country against one of the best defenses. Wisconsin plays at a rather slow pace, but the Badgers are extremely efficient running Bo Ryan’s Swing Offense. Arizona has size and killer athletes in Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on the wing to help shut down opponents, which will make this quite the intriguing matchup. Be on the lookout for Dekker against Johnson and Hollis-Jefferson, as well as Kaminsky against the Arizona front line.
While Wisconsin is the No. 1 seed, Arizona is currently a one-point favorite, according to most sports books.  According to OddsShark, Arizona has been the better team against the spread this season with a record of 23-14. Wisconsin is 19-17-1 against the spread on the year. The Wildcats are 7-3 against the spread over the last 10 games, while the Badgers are 5-5.
The over/under in his matchup is varied between 131 and 132 points, depending where you look. Arizona and Wisconsin both have similar over/under records, according to OddsShark. The Wildcats have a 16-21 over/under record, and the Badgers have a 17-20 over/under record.
