Wisconsin (15-11) vs. Iowa (17-10)

Game: Wednesday, Feb. 22 inside the Kohl Center

Time: 8:00 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: Iowa 72, Wisconsin 67

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

Betting Line: Iowa -1

Remember when Wisconsin outlasted the Hawkeyes in a gritty overtime win in Iowa City? Yes, this season. It feels like ages ago. So much has changed since the Badgers took down Iowa on Dec. 11 that it seems as though we're in an entirely different season.

In that game, which would be Wisconsin's third consecutive victory and second straight Big Ten win (both of which seem unheard of by now), the Badgers got a 21-spot from their senior forward Tyler Wahl. That was before his ankle injury, but the most he's scored since then is 16.

Wisconsin also got the benefit of not having to play against Kris Murray, the dynamic 6-foot-8 forward who missed four games in the middle of the season. Without Murray, the Hawkeyes rode Patrick McCaffery's 24 points to overtime, and fell just short. McCaffery, of course, is no longer a starter after missing six games in January to address his mental health.

Clearly, both teams are hardly recognizable from what they were in early December in the first meeting. Iowa is on track to log a winning record in Big Ten play and receive a tournament bid. Wisconsin is hanging on for dear life on the tournament bubble.

If the Badgers want to sweep the season series with their heartland rival, they'll need to have an excellent defensive outing. Iowa boasts one of the most efficient offenses in the nation, and they've scored 80 or more points 14 times. Wisconsin has only accomplished that feat once, and it came in the opener against hapless South Dakota.

One of the biggest reasons why Iowa's offense is so potent is the aforementioned Murray. The junior averages 20.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Murray shoots over 50 percent from the field, while also leading the team in made three-pointers. His jump from being a rotational player who started one game a season ago in the shadow of his NBA lottery pick brother to a 20 point-per-night scorer is the kind of transformation Wisconsin fans were dreaming about with Jordan Davis. Murray is nearly impossible to slow down, and only two teams have held him to under 15 points this calendar year: Northwestern and Michigan State.

Iowa is an average three-point shooting team, but unlike this iteration of the Badgers, they don't need to be great in that category to give themselves a chance to win. They shoot 52.3 percent from two-point land and barley turn the ball over. That's a recipe for success at any level of basketball.

Wisconsin needs to be sound in its defensive assignments at all times, but especially early in the shot clock. If the Hawkeyes are allowed to pick and choose their two-point shots, it could get ugly in a hurry at the Kohl Center. The Badgers need to force Iowa to work the ball around the perimeter and settle for lower percentage shots. The Hawkeyes don't have any snipers that scare a defense, but again, they don't necessarily need them.

Defensively, Iowa is sound but nothing special. Their size doesn't quite match up with Wisconsin's down low, which is a big reason why Wahl was able to lead the Badgers to a victory in their first meeting. Since that game, Steven Crowl has become the alpha in the post for Wisconsin, and he'll need to offer more than the eight points he did in the loss to Rutgers.

Iowa is coming off an embarrassing 20-point loss to Northwestern, in which they scored their fewest points since late December. They'll be hungry to earn their 10th conference win and avenge their early-season loss to the Badgers. Wisconsin, meanwhile, is also coming off a deflating loss and needs to get back in the win column to stay afloat. In their penultimate home game of the season, the Badgers will need to put together a complete performance against a very talented Iowa team.

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