You forget (or at least I do) every year that college basketball teams are supposed to go through slumps, a fact that's maybe obscured by the college football season, in which a slump resulting in a single loss can derail a season. The stakes are still high before every college basketball game, but a few losses in a row won't kill a season, even if it may cost a few number seeds at the NCAA tournament. More important is getting better throughout the year, and learning the skill -- if it is a skill different than winning in the regular season -- of winning in the NCAA tournament.

Appropriate that it is #14 Wisconsin (22-5, 9-5) and their game against Indiana (15-11, 5-8) that is sparking this article's theme. Back when they were undefeated (16-0 before losing to Indiana), it was taken with a grain of salt -- the same salt that is annually tossed on the Badger's NCAA tournament wounds. In the 12-season Bo Ryan era, the farthest they've advance is the Elite Eight in 2005 despite favorable seeds (not a terrible record, but he could really use a Final Four run on his resume).

The loss to Indiana on Jan. 14 began a six game stretch in which Wisconsin lost five games. On Feb. 4, they finally got a win against Illinois (15-12, 4-10), the first of their current five-game streak (including wins over Michigan State, Michigan, and Iowa). Suddenly, Wisconsin is right back in the mess of things.

Maybe it's better this way -- to start off fast, falter, and then right yourself. Or, as forward Frank Kaminsky (13.3 ppg, 41 percent field goals) put it to ESPN:

"Having the confidence to step up and take those shots is back. I think we had that at the start of the season. It kind of went away for a little bit, and now I think we have that back."

For their re-discovered basketball skills, the Badgers will be 10.5 favorites at home against a struggling Hoosier's squad (lost three of last four). Roll Ti-- I mean Roll Badger.

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Record: 19-29 (Looking more like the Knicks)

Butler @ Creighton: L (picked Butler, +10.5)

UConn @ Memphis: L (picked Memphis, -7.5)

Depaul @ Villanova: W (picked Villanova, -17.5)

Pittsburg @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -5.5)

Creighton @ Villanova: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Baylor @ Kansas: W (picked Baylor, + 10.5)

Indiana @ Michigan State: L (picked Michigan State, -12)

Iowa @ Michigan: L (picked Iowa, + 1.5)

Colorado @ Arizona: W (picked Colorado, + 14.5)

Illinois @ Ohio State: W (picked Illinois, + 11)

Michigan @ Michigan State: W (picked Michigan, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Marquette: W (picked Villanova, -3)

Utah @ Arizona: W (picked Utah, + 15)

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State: W (picked Oklahoma, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Georgetown: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Michigan State @ Iowa: W (picked Michigan State, + 5)

St. John's @ Creighton: W (picked St. John's, + 12)

Iowa State @ Kansas: L (picked Iowa State, + 8.5)

Syracuse @ Wake Forest: L (picked Syracuse, -10)

Purdue @ Michigan: L (picked Michigan, -12)

Florida @ Mississippi State: W (picked Miss. State, + 15)

Duke @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -3)

Xavier @ Villanova: L (picked Xavier, + 10)

Nebraska @ Michigan: L (picked Nebraska, + 13)

Boston College @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -13)

Oregon @ Arizona: L (picked Arizona, -11)

Oklahamo State @ Texas Tech: W (picked Texas Tech, + 6.5)

West Virginia @ Kansas: L (picked WVU, + 14)

Maryland @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -11)

Iowa State @ West Virginia: L (picked Iowa State, - 1.5)

Michigan @ Ohio State: L (picked Ohio State, -3.5)

Florida @ Tennessee: W (picked Florida, - 1.5)

Syracuse @ Pittsburg: W (picked Syracuse, + 2.5 -- absurd line)

Villanova @ Depaul: W (picked Villanova, -14)

Creighton @ Butler: L (picked Creighton, -8.5)

West Virginia @ Texas: W (picked Texas, -6)

Florida @ Kentucky: L (picked Kentucy, -2)

VCU @ Saint Louis: W (picked VCU, +4.5)

Villanova @ Creighton: L (picked Villanova, -3.5)

Texas @ Iowa State: L (picked Texas, +6)

Villanova @ Providence: L (picked Villanova, -4.5)

Wichita State @ Loyola: L (picked Loyola, + 13.5)

Creighton @ Marquette: W (picked Creighton, -3)

Gonzaga @ BYU: L (picked Gonzaga, +2)

Duke @ North Carolina: L (picked Duke, -2)

St. John's @ Villanova: W (picked St. John's, + 8.5)

Seton Hall @ Creighton: L (Picked Creighton, -13.5)

Syracuse @ Maryland: L (Picked Syracuse, -4.5