On the first day of the Big Ten schedule — way back on Dec. 3 — Danny Wolf and Michigan barged into Wisconsin and handed the Badgers their first loss of the season.

On the last day of the Big Ten schedule — 103 days later — John Tonje and the Badgers finally have their chance to get even.

After avenging regular-season losses to UCLA and Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, No. 18 Wisconsin (26-8) plays No. 22 Michigan (24-9) for the championship Sunday afternoon in Indianapolis.

“It’s a great opportunity to get our revenge and the championship,” said Wisconsin sophomore John Blackwell.

The fifth-seeded Badgers are seeking their fourth Big Ten tournament crown while the third-seeded Wolverines are going for their third after their 1998 title was vacated by the NCAA.

Wisconsin had a chance to get that fourth title last year as the No. 5 seed, but fell 93-87 to second-seeded Illinois.

“We know how it feels to get to this point,” said Blackwell, one of three returnees from the Badgers’ top six players last year. “Now we’ve just got to finish the job.”

When leading scorer AJ Storr opted to leave for Kansas and three-year starting point guard Chucky Hepburn left for Louisville, the Badgers weren’t a hot pick to get anywhere near another chance to win this tournament.

Then again, nobody knew what graduate transfer Tonje brought to the table. The sixth-year wing, who missed almost all of last year at Missouri with a foot injury, stepped into the spotlight with a career-high 41 points Nov. 15 against Arizona.

Against Michigan State on Saturday — one day before Associated Press voters submit their All-American ballots — Tonje made the perfect final pitch for first-team All-American votes by drilling the Spartans for 32 points. He also stripped Michigan State point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. of the ball when he was trying to tie the game with a 35-foot runner just before the final buzzer.

“It doesn’t really matter what anyone thinks about you,” Tonje said. “As long as you believe in yourself and put the work in, you can essentially do whatever you would like to do.”

Tonje was talking about himself, but his words fit perfectly for the Badgers.

“Obviously, the credit goes to our players,” said Wisconsin coach Greg Gard. “Because they’ve bought in from Day 1. I haven’t had any pushback, any resistance, any ego. They’ve been an absolute joy to coach because they’re so selfless and they want to play for what’s on front of the jersey.”

Nearly everybody in a Michigan jersey was playing for somebody else last year. But new coach Dusty May has blended this mostly new group and taken the Wolverines from last in the Big Ten nearly to the top.

On Saturday, it was former Auburn point guard Tre Donaldson going coast-to-coast in the final five seconds to bank in the game-winning lefty layup over the outstretched hands of Maryland big men Derik Queen and Julian Reese.

Way back on Dec. 3, it was 7-footers Wolf and first-team All-Big Ten center Vlad Goldin combining for 44 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks to beat Wisconsin.

“I think when we all got to campus 10 months ago, we knew exactly what we could do and what we could be,” said Wolf, who led Yale to the NCAA Tournament second round last season. “We have a lot of guys who are coming from winning programs. I know Tre won the SEC championship. Vlad’s been to a Final Four (with May as his coach at Florida Atlantic). And other guys in the locker room (are winners too).

“You need everyone to win a championship. We got one more tomorrow to do what we want to do — and we need everyone to step up again.”

–Field Level Media