Big Ten Daily (Feb. 2): Ridiculous History Made as Nebraska Upsets No. 6 Wisconsin

Nebraska trailed No. 6 Wisconsin by 19 points in the first half of Thursday night's game. But huge second-half performances from CJ Wilcher and Rienk Mast catapulted the Huskers to an 80-72 victory over the Badgers at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

There's a reason college basketball games aren't played on paper. If that was the case, Thursday's game between Nebraska and No. 6 Wisconsin would've been called at halftime, spoiling one of the best come-from-behind upsets we've seen.

The Huskers overcame a 16-point halftime deficit at home to beat the sixth-ranked Badgers 80-72 in overtime. Sound like an improbable win? That's because it was.

Per Big Ten Network, Wisconsin was 120-0 in games when leading by 15 points or more at halftime, dating back to 2000. Nebraska was 1-60 in games when trailing by 15 points or more at the break. The Badgers held a 43-27 advantage through the first 20 minutes. 

It was the very definition of flipping the script. And when it was all over, Huskers coach Fred Hoiberg really didn't have an explanation.

"I don't know. I have no idea," Hoiberg said when asked how Nebraska was able to come back. "You know, I think we showed a lot of resolve — I don't know if the last couple days of practice helped us in this, develop a little bit of toughness. 

"It wasn't looking good. We get down 19 to a team that's hard to come back on, but we just kept fighting. That's what I love about these guys. CJ Wilcher was unbelievable, we got some defensive stops at the end, just a total team effort. I just love these guys."

CJ Wilcher was hot for @HuskerMBB with 22 points in their win over Wisconsin. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MO26R9Tfz8

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 2, 2024

Nebraska struggled to find scorers, with three starters struggling significantly. Keisei Tominaga, Josiah Allick and Jamarques Lawrence combined for just nine points on the night. But, as Hoiberg said, Wilcher provided the much-needed spark off the bench.

Wilcher poured in a team-high 22 points, knocking down five-of-seven shots from 3-point range. The Huskers also got production from Rienk Mast, who scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists. Brice Williams added 17 points.

Nebraska's magical season (at least in games played at Pinnacle Bank Arena) continued with Thursday's win. The Huskers now own wins over No. 2 Purdue and No. 6 Wisconsin, bolstering their NCAA Tournament resumé. 

Now, it's time to see if the Huskers can carry that momentum into a pair of upcoming road games against No. 14 Illinois and Northwestern.

Taulia Tagovailia Shines at Shrine Bowl

Former Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa made the most of his opportunity in Thursday night's East-West Shrine Bowl. 

Tagovailoa helped guide the West to a 26-11 victory on Thursday, showing off a variety of skills in the win. He completed nine-of-14 passes for 142 yards, while also accounting for one rushing touchdown in the victory.

Perhaps the most impressive play from Tagovailoa's big night came on a 3rd-and-7 early in the second quarter. The former Terrapin dropped back launched a deep ball to Jadon Janke for a 52-yard gain.

Taulia Tagovailoa showing off his downfield accuracy🎯

pic.twitter.com/x2W4WeinNA

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 2, 2024

Tagovailoa recently declared for the 2024 NFL Draft after a waiver for an additional year of eligibility was expected to be denied by the NCAA. It appears his draft preparations are off to a solid start.

Because of his impressive performance, Tagovailoa was named a "standout" at the Shrine Bowl, via NFL.com.

Iowa self-reports tampering violation

According to a report from Scott Dochterman of The Athletic, Iowa has self-reported a Level III tampering violation to the NCAA. The violation comes in relation to the recruitment of former Alabama offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor, who committed to Iowa after entering the transfer portal.

The self-reported violation occurred in September, when Iowa's director of recruiting, Tyler Barnes, sent a text message to Proctor that read, "Hang in there, buddy." 

A Level III violation is the least severe at the NCAA level.

Proctor entered the NCAA transfer portal after one season at Alabama. He decided to return to his home state and play for coach Kirk Ferentz, giving the Hawkeyes a nice boost on the offensive line for the 2024 season.

Related Big Ten stories

• COLLINS EJECTED: Northwestern coach Chris Collins wasn't happy with how Wednesday night's game against Purdue was officiated. In the closing seconds, Collins went after an official, resulting in his ejection in overtime. CLICK HERE
• CLARK LEADS BIG TEN: Iowa's Caitlin Clark now owns the Big Ten all-time scoring record, passing Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell. The Hawkeyes star also sits at No. 2 in the NCAA record books, needing just 104 points to pass Washington's Kelsey Plum. CLICK HERE
• BIG TEN BANTER: Braden Smith was snubbed from the Bob Cousy Award list this week, an honor presented to the best point guard in college basketball. The Purdue sophomore showed exactly why he belongs in the top-10 in Wednesday night's win over Northwestern. CLICK HERE