Wisconsin Basketball: Chucky Hepburn Displays Heart, Drops 22-Points While Fighting Injury

Nearly an hour before the biggest game of the season for Wisconsin, Head Coach Greg Gard announced that both Tyler Wahl and Chucky Hepburn would play through injuries. Wahl fell on his ankle awkwardly against Northwestern towards the end of the game, but the injury did not seem serious. Hepburn on the other hand, missed the game against Northwestern due to a rolled ankle after trying to warm-up before the game.

Hepburn made sure he was on the court one way or another against the Purdue Boilermakers as the Badgers needed him. Wisconsin basketball got just what they needed out of the guard as Hepburn pushed through his painful injury to drop 22-points against a strong defense.

The guard went 9-of-12 from the field and added three steals and four assists as Wisconsin pulled past the Boilermakers in overtime.

Hepburn Returns for Wisconsin Badgers Basketball When the Team Needed Someone the Most 

One of the most interesting and exciting parts of this Wisconsin Badgers basketball team is the fact that there are a handful of players who can take over offensively. The Badgers feed the person with the hot hand, and often that is not the same person each night. Guard AJ Storr has led Wisconsin in scoring with 16.8 points per game this season, but players like Wahl, Klesmit, Crowl, and Hepburn have had their fair share of offensive performances this season.

Against the Boilermakers, it was quite a night for Hepburn as he took excellent shots and found himself open often. The guard did not hesitate to take tough shots when the Badgers need, and was rewarded with a win in the end for his strong, gritty play.

Can the Wisconsin Badgers Defeat Illinois to Claim the Big Ten Tournament Title? 

The only thing standing between Wisconsin basketball and the elusive Big Ten Conference Tournament Title is the Illinois Fighting Illini. Illinois has been one of the stronger teams in the conference this season, and has been a particularly tough team for Wisconsin. The Badgers lost 91-83 earlier this season against Illinois after tying the game multiple times.

In their previous meeting, Wisconsin basketball struggled with their close-out defense and allowed far too many open looks from beyond the arc. The Badgers have the offense to match Illinois, but it will come down to who can make the tough, contested shots. If Wisconsin is able to do so, they should be able to take down a tough Illinois team.