The 6-foot-4 sophomore went from averaging 8.1 points against the Big Ten last season to ranking sixth in the league with an 19.2 points per game.

The graduate guard scored 27 points and the Badgers hit 17 three-pointers in an 83-55 victory over the Cornhuskers Sunday at the Kohl Center.

John Blackwell scored 28 points and No. 24 Wisconsin defeated Southern California 84-69 to extend its winning streak to seven games.

Wisconsin’s preseason outlook, remember, was a 12th-place finish in the new 18-team Big Ten. The Badgers have already proven that outlook wrong with a 15-4 (5-3 Big Ten) start to the season and a No. 18 ranking in the current AP Poll. Predictive metrics back that up — Wisconsin ranks No. 22 in KenPom and No. 26 in the ESPN BPI.

Micah Parrish scored 17 of his career-high 22 points in the second half, helping Ohio State rally from a 16-point first-half deficit and fueling a

Tonje finished with a game-best 27 points and snagged five rebounds, Blackwell scored 14 points and Kamari McGee accounted for 11 points off the bench. The Badgers’ high-powered offense was on full display throughout — 11 different Badgers made the score sheet.

LOS ANGELES -- — John Blackwell scored 28 points ... USC: Desmond Claude, who was leading the Big Ten with a 22 points-per-game average in conference games, was held to nine points.

Tonje’s 3-pointer put Wisconsin up 65-57 with just over four minutes remaining. John Blackwell added 15 points and Steven Crowl 14 for Wisconsin to give coach Greg Gard his 200th career victory.

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Welcome back to the Big Ten Basketball Midweek Rundown ... snapping the Badgers’ seven-game winning streak. John Tonje scored 24 points, and John Blackwell added 23 for Wisconsin.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John Blackwell scored 28 points ... USC: Desmond Claude, who was leading the Big Ten with a 22 points-per-game average in conference games, was held to nine points.

Kylan Boswell scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures as No. 17 Illinois rolled to an 83-74 Big Ten victory over visiting Northwestern Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Starting for 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic,