Preview: Badgers look for redemption against the Spartans

Wisconsin (12-9, 5-5) vs. No. 14 Michigan State (16-5, 8-2)

Game: Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Kohl Center

Time: 12:00 pm CT

Watch: FOX (Fox Sports Go app, foxsportsgo.com/Gus Johnson and Jim Jackson)

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

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz, @alow_33, @TheBadgerNation

After losing its last three road games, there is no place Wisconsin would rather be than the Kohl Center. Saturday's clash with Michigan State has certainly been overshadowed by other news this week. The Badgers lost their No. 2 leading scorer Kobe King, who announced he was leaving the team for personal reasons Wednesday via Instagram.

This will not only be a test against the most talented team in the Big Ten Conference, but also a huge challenge for the Badgers in terms of resiliency in the face of serious adversity.

Wisconsin will look again to freshman Tyler Wahl to take up the starting spot left open after King's sudden departure. The Badgers are not only shorthanded with the loss of King - they will also have to deal with Brad Davison's one-game suspension by the Big Ten Conference. The junior guard was tagged with a flagrant foul late in the Iowa loss.

The official statement from the Big Ten also made it clear that Davison's history was a factor in the suspension: "We will not tolerate behavior that compromises the health and safety of our student-athletes or crosses the line of aggressive, competitive play, especially when a pattern of similar behavior has been previously established.”

Without Davison and King, UW will have to lean on Nate Reuvers even more Saturday. The junior forward had one of his best games of the season the last time these two teams met, as he finished with a game-high 19 points and a team-high seven boards.

Without two starters, the Badgers will also need unexpected sources of offense to hang with the Spartans. The last time Wisconsin saw Michigan State, the Spartans were coming off of their worst loss of the season in blowout fashion at Purdue. This time, Sparty is fresh off their largest Big Ten winning margin, a 29-point route at home against Northwestern.

Cassius Winston is still the engine that makes the Spartans' car go. The player of the year candidate comes in averaging 18 points per game and nearly six assists. The Badgers did a solid job on the senior guard in East Lansing, holding Winston to just six points and four assists. It was the other Spartans that led MSU to a commanding win.

While the Spartans have a clear second option in forward Xavier Tillman, Aaron Henry and Gabe Brown have been inconsistent at times being the third guy offensively. In MSU's home win over Wisconsin, Henry and Brown, neither of whom average double-figures in scoring, had 13 points each. Stopping those two on the offensive end could be the key to Wisconsin's success on Saturday.

The Spartans lead, 83-64, all time against the Badgers, although Wisconsin leads 46-26 in Madison.