Wisconsin (4-0) vs. No. 3 Kansas (5-0)

Game: Thursday, Nov. 24 inside Imperial Arena (Nassau, Bahamas)

Time: 10:00 A.M CT

Watch: ESPN

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

Prediction: Wisconsin 51, Kansas 66

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

Wisconsin improved to 4-0 on the season, beating Dayton in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis off the back of a relentless defense. Their lowly 23.7% shooting percentage was almost enough to doom them, but the Badgers' toughness and grit shined through to pull out a close win.

It was another incredibly rough day for Wisconsin offensively. Freshman guard Connor Essegian led the Badgers in points with 13, most of which he picked up in the early stages of the first half. Steven Crowl was Wisconsin's next leading scorer with nine, but he was mightily inefficient, shooting just 3-of-11 from the floor and 0-of-4 from downtown.

Wisconsin's offense had some solid rhythm and ball movement, but shots simply weren't falling. It's quite a feat to shoot as poorly as Wisconsin just did and still win, and yet here we are. Through four games, we know the offense is going to be a work-in-progress at times. We also know the defense is going to be tenacious most all of the time. The Badgers had eight steals and forced 17 total turnovers, which went a long way in giving Wisconsin any kind of separation in what was a slugfest of a game. For much of the afternoon on Paradise Island, the Flyers were struggling to get anything going around the rim until guard Kobe Elvis took matters into his own hands with a few nifty moves.

Once again, Wisconsin's opponent had severe offensive struggles of their own. The Badgers came in allowing the lowest three-point shooting percentage in the nation, and they might still have claim to that title after Wednesday's slate of games. Dayton shot 4-of-27 from downtown, just 14.8%. Thanks to elite defense and poor shooting from their opponents, Wisconsin has found themselves in some slow-paced, low-scoring, gritty games. It may not be pretty, but it's exactly the kind of basketball game Wisconsin is built to win.

Awaiting the Badgers in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis: the mighty Kansas Jayhawks. The defending national champions are sitting at an unbeaten 5-0, and they've reloaded what was a stacked roster a year ago.

The Jayhawks are a blue blood program for a reason. Their offense is hyper-efficient, and they're near the top of the country in terms of two point shooting. Much of that is due to talents of forward Jalen Wilson, who logs 20-plus points a game in his sleep.

Unsurprisingly, the Jayhawks can hurt you everywhere. They haven't lit it up from beyond the arc this season, but make no mistake: they have three-point shooters. True freshman sensation Gradey Dick hit 6-of-12 threes against NC State in round one of the tournament. The 6-8, lanky guard can shoot over nearly anyone with his high release point, and he's one of the Jayhawks' top scorers.

Kansas is a well-oiled machine of a program, and Wisconsin is in for a daunting test. They've scored over 80 points in all but one of their games, and Wisconsin's offense has been largely lethargic to start the season. The Badgers must force Kansas to play their game: hard-nosed, gritty and defensive oriented. If Wisconsin can trap the Jayhwaks in a physical, defensive battle, the Badgers have a chance. If Kansas's shooters get hot from deep or Wilson takes over the paint, it'll be a long Thanksgiving for Wisconsin.

Wisconsin and Kansas haven't played since 1969, with the Jayhawks coming out on top. They lead the all-time series, 3-1.

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