Wisconsin (11-5) vs. Penn State (12-5)

Game: Tuesday, Jan. 17 inside the Kohl Center

Time: 7:30 P.M CT

Watch: BTN

Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio

Prediction: Wisconsin 67, Penn State 64

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

The Badgers dropped their third straight Big Ten game Saturday at Indiana, bringing their record to 11-5 (3-3 in the conference) and knocking them out of the AP poll where they had peaked at No.14 just weeks ago.

The good news for Wisconsin — forward Tyler Wahl is reportedly expected to return to action Tuesday evening. He's been badly missed as a defensive and offensive force in the paint, and the Badgers have gone 0-3 without him thus far.

While clearly coming at a cost, Wahl's absence has forced some positive growth from the Badgers. Without Wahl, Steven Crowl is Wisconsin's only real interior presence. The big man has developed into a very capable isolation scorer in the post, backing down opponents and finishing with an array of moves, from his trusty jump hook to the spin cycle. Carter Gilmore and Markus Ilver have been pressed into meaningful minutes, and while the Badgers haven't been able to get the job done the past three games, that experience should come in handy down the road.

Wahl's unavailability has also exposed some issues. Mainly, depth is a big problem for Wisconsin. When they're all healthy, it's less noticeable. When Gilmore and Illver have to combine for 45 minutes, it's a glaring issue. Further, Crowl and Chucky Hepburn are the only two scorers in the starting lineup Wisconsin can consistently rely on to go get a bucket. Max Klesmit can shoot and plays with great toughness, but he needs to step up his consistency. The sharpshooter is hitting just 36.0% of his threes. Jordan Davis has essentially been a non-factor over the past three games.

The Badgers need more juice in the starting five, and the answer might be right in front of them. At this point, there's a legitimate argument for Connor Essegian to get the nod over Davis. The freshman plays with the confidence and intangibles that other players simply haven't shown. He logged a double-double against Indiana with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. He's also proven to be a capable defender. You wouldn't want him one-on-one against the other team's top option, but he's shown he knows how to provide help at the right time and trap offensive ball-handlers. Essegian isn't quite the pickpocket Hepburn is, but he has a sneaky ability to steal the ball. The true freshman has earned his spot in the starting lineup with his effort, basketball IQ and obvious scoring ability.

If Wisconsin wants to avoid dropping four straight conference games, they'll have to beat an upstart Penn State squad. After finishing below .500 the past two seasons, the Nittany Lions have rode an experienced roster to a 12-5 start. Four of their starting five players are seniors, well-seasoned by the grit and intensity of Big Ten basketball.

That experience has translated into some elite metrics for Penn State. They have the lowest turnover percentage in the nation; they simply don't give the ball away. They're also top 10 in three-point shooting nationally.

Senior point guard Jalen Pickett is a bucket waiting to happen. He's shooting 49.6% from the field and is a capable three-point shooter as well. He's scored 20 points or more seven times this season — for context, no Badger has done that more than twice. Pickett is also one of the most well-rounded payers Wisconsin will face this season. He's an elite facilitator with 7.4 assists-per-game, and he's not afraid to do the dirty work either with 7.4 of rebounds-per-game.

Seth Lundy, the guard/forward combo, is an elite rebounder who also shoots 42.6% from three. Andrew Funk shoots nearly eight threes a game, and hits 42.1% of them. If Wahl does indeed return, Wisconsin will have reinforcements in the post. However, they need to defend the long ball or the Nittany Lions could run away with this one.

It's impossible to sugarcoat — this is a huge game for the Badgers. They absolutely must stop their skid and get back in the win column in the Big Ten. Wisconsin is breaking out their slick, 1990's Chicago Bulls-inspired "By the Players" uniforms. They'll hope to harness a little look good feel good, feel good play good magic Tuesday night.

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