Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes hopes he will be celebrating with fans at the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis. Credit: Associated Press

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Indianapolis — When Frank Kaminsky and his Wisconsin teammates won the 2015 Big Ten men's basketball tournament, the achievement was an affirmation that UW's regular-season title was no fluke.

UW was the best team in the Big Ten — period.

The 2016 tournament offers a different opportunity and a greater challenge for UW (20-11), which is seeded No. 6 and opens at approximately 8 p.m. Thursday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse against No. 11 Nebraska (15-17). The Cornhuskers were 89-72 winners Wednesday over No. 14 Rutgers. Nebraska lost its only meeting to UW, 72-61 on Feb. 10 in Madison.

UW, which won 11 of its final 13 Big Ten games to finish in a four-way tie for third place, has another opportunity to prove it is a worthy title contender. If not for the 1-4 start in league play, in part because of a roster makeover and the unexpected transition to Greg Gard from Bo Ryan, the Badgers might have won a share of the title.

"It would just mean a lot to know, like reaffirming how good of a team that I've told the guys and I've been telling you that we were," junior forward Nigel Hayes said. "Like I was saying back in September and October that there were going to be growing pains. And most definitely the growing pains were there. We all know it.

"I believe in our guys. We're better than that. And we've come along. And here we are.

"It's not about how well you played at the beginning, even though we'd take that. But it's about how you put things together at the end. And in March, that's when it matters."

UW was seeded No. 1 and the clear favorite last season. The Badgers this season, coming off a 91-80 loss to fourth-seeded Purdue, are a long shot to win the title.

Gard, named full-time head coach on Monday, believes No. 1 Indiana (25-6), No. 2 Michigan State (26-5) and Purdue (24-7) have separated from the pack.

"I think those three in my mind, looking across the board," Gard said, "are playing at a high level, more consistent level than anybody else right now."

UW split its games with Indiana and Michigan State but lost twice to Purdue.

"People might think it is just a hot streak that we're on," said Ethan Happ, named the league's freshman of the year. "We want to prove that we can win, when it is win or go home as well."

UW played the toughest schedule in the league and played on the road five times in the last seven games. Four of the five road tests came against ranked teams — Maryland, Michigan State, Iowa and Purdue.

UW went 2-2 in those games, handing the Terrapins and Hawkeyes their first home losses of the season.

"I think we've matured a lot," junior guard Bronson Koenig said. "I think we've played in a lot of tough environments. We're pretty ready to go in anywhere. It doesn't matter, the gym."

And the Badgers have been challenged.

"We've played Indiana twice, Maryland twice, Purdue twice, Michigan State twice," Gard said. "So our group has been battle tested. For a younger team, they've really gone through the gauntlet in the last two to three weeks after we've come down the stretch."

A victory over Nebraska would set up a third meeting with Maryland on Friday.

Melo Trimble hit an NBA-range three-pointer just before the buzzer in the Terrapins' 63-60 victory in Madison. UW outplayed Maryland in the rematch, 70-57, and snapped the Terrapins' home winning streak at 27 games.

"I think we're in that mix as well," Gard said. "I still don't think we've played as well for as long as what we're capable of. The closest we came was at Maryland on both ends of the floor, but I think we have a lot of room to grow and hopefully we have a lot of games yet in which to grow."

UW last season parlayed the Big Ten tournament title into a run to the NCAA championship game.

No one expects UW to repeat that run, regardless of what happens in Indianapolis.

Hayes is eager to see how long this team can remain alive.

"From here on out we're only guaranteed two more games," he said. "Each game is win or go home.

"We made a great comeback in the league, but we have another chance in the tournament to try to get a Big Ten championship."

thursday

Wisconsin vs. Nebraska, about 8 p.m.

TV: ESPN2

Radio: AM-920