--Wisconsin finished the regular season as the nation's No. 1 team in scoring defense. The Badgers surrendered 1,629 points in 30 games -- otherwise known as 54.3 points per game.

Only three teams reached the 70-point mark against Wisconsin this season -- and all three were in the Top 25 at the time. No. 7 Duke rolled up 82 on Nov. 27, No. 11 Marquette posted 81 on Dec. 8 and No. 24 Purdue hit for 72 on Feb. 9. Not coincidentally, those games represent three-fourths of the Badgers' losses for the year.

Wisconsin's half-court defense has been particularly stifling down the stretch. During the Badgers' current seven-game winning streak, opponents are shooting 37.7 percent overall and 29.2 percent from 3-point range.

--Since Wisconsin takes a 26-4 record into the postseason, clearly it's not easy to beat the Badgers.

But to have a fighting chance, opponents must bring some defensive pressure and try to force turnovers. When Wisconsin makes fewer or the same number of turnovers as its opponents, it owns an 18-0 record.

The Badgers averaged 12.3 turnovers during the regular season -- a number that decreased to 11.2 per game in Big Ten play.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"They both were (huge). At Duke, we absolutely got our butts kicked. That's all there is to say about it. And then at Texas, you start believing. And once you believe in yourself and the locker room believes, it's cool to see it evolve." -- Wisconsin senior center Brian Butch explaining in the Daily Herald how the Badgers' loss at Duke and win at Texas helped them win the Big Ten title.

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