Preview: Badgers and Wolverines clash at their respective bests

Wisconsin (17-10, 10-6) vs. No. 19 Michigan (18-9, 9-7)

Game: Thursday, Feb. 28, 2020 at the Crisler Center

Time: 6:00 pm CT

Watch: ESPN2 (Dan Shulman and Dan Dakich)

Listen: Badger Sports Network (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas)

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz, @alow_33

The Wisconsin Badgers are in the midst of their best stretch of basketball this season as they get set for a Thursday night showdown at Michigan. UW has won four straight after previously being unable to win more than two games in a row in the Big Ten gauntlet.

While Wisconsin's top 20 defense in points allowed has been solid, the balance offensively has the Badgers reaching new heights on that end of the floor. Over the course of Wisconsin's win streak, four different Badgers have led in scoring over their consecutive wins.

Brevin Pritzl, Brad Davison, Aleem Ford and Micah Potter have each taken their turn as the go-to guy for head coach Greg Gard. When fans have tuned in to watch Wisconsin this year, one could only guess what kind of offensive output they would see from certain individuals and from the team as a whole. But scouting a team that has an offensive identity rooted in balance is no easy task. As this team heads to the Crisler Center on Thursday, it is anybody's guess as to who could step forward offensively.

It has been a streaky season for Juwan Howard in his first year at the helm of Michigan basketball. The Wolverines have greatly benefited from their experience. All four of Michigan's top scorers are upperclassmen, led by junior Isaiah Livers and senior captain Zavier Simpson, who also leads the Big Ten with 8.0 assists per game.

In conference play, the Wolverines had a four-game losing streak in late January. Yet, as is the case with Wisconsin, they enter Thursday night playing their best basketball of the season as winners of five straight. The maize and blue have not allowed an opponent to reach 70 points throughout those five wins.

This battle is not only significant in terms of ending win streaks, but also in securing a double bye at the Big Ten tournament in March. The top four seeds in the conference come away with the coveted start to the tournament, and the Badgers are currently clinging to a tiebreaker that gives them the fourth seed. Michigan is only a game behind.

History serves UW well as it has won 18 of the last 24 against Michigan.