Wisconsin vs. Rutgers final score: 3 things we learned from the Scarlet Knights’ stunning upset

An already wacky weekend that saw the No. 2 and No. 5 teams go down and the No. 1 team get taken to double overtime got even crazier Sunday night when Rutgers handed No. 4 Wisconsin its second loss of the season via a 67-62 stunner.

The Badgers were playing without star center Frank Kaminsky, who suffered a concussion when he was elbowed in the head during the team’s 62-55 win over Purdue on Wednesday. Still, the common thought was that Bo Ryan’s team wouldn’t have much trouble with a Rutgers squad whose non-conference resume includes losses to Saint Peter’s and St. Francis (PA).

Instead, it was the Mack and Jack show at the RAC Sunday night. Myles Mack buried four treys and scored a game-high 21 points, while Kadeem Jack controlled the middle and added 20 of his own. The pair helped the Scarlet Knights overcome a 12-point halftime deficit and carried RU to its first win over a top-five team in program history.

Here are three things we learned from the Jersey stunner:

Granted, one game is an extremely small sample size, but a legitimate national title contender that everyone thinks is going to roll over the rest of the Big Ten should be able to take care of business against Rutgers with or without its best player. Apparently Wisconsin isn’t there yet.

The forward duo of Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes each scored 15 points, but it took them a combined 27 shots to get there. They also missed five of their nine free-throw attempts. The Badger frontcourt had no answer on the other end of the floor for Jack, who finished 8-of-13 from the field.

The upset is sure to grab headlines from now through Monday morning, but the biggest story to come out of this game might be the health of Badgers point guard Traevon Jackson, who left the game in the second half with an apparent foot injury and did not return.

“I don’t think it’s good,” Wisconsin assistant coach Greg Gard said after the game. “But we’ll see when we get back.”

Jackson is the guy who makes the Badgers go, a fact his teammates are more than willing to admit. Losing a game to arguably the worst team in the Big Ten is one thing, but losing a player whose absence could cost you a shot at a national championship would obviously be a much larger blow.

Myles Mack, back me up on this.

Thanks, man.