No. 14 Wisconsin (11-2) vs. Illinois (9-5)

Game: Saturday, Jan. 7 inside the State Farm Center

Time: 12:30 P.M CT

Watch: ESPN2

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

Prediction: Wisconsin 60, Illinois 64

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

As is becoming the norm, Wisconsin won close once again Tuesday against the Golden Gophers. A second half scoring drought allowed Minnesota to creep back into the game and eventually only lose by a possession. It wasn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but it was yet another gritty, hard-fought victory that's becoming commonplace for the 125th Badger basketball team.

They may not be blowing past anybody, especially in the Big Ten, but these Badgers are on a bit of a tear as of late. Wisconsin has won six straight, and it's reasonable to assume that streak would be at seven if UW got to play Grambling on Dec. 23. That stretch includes victories over three conference foes and rival Marquette.

The main storyline when Wisconsin steps onto the court in Champaign, however, will be the health of big man and leading scorer Tyler Wahl. The forward is considered day to day, and his status for Illinois is currently unknown. Wahl could be a true game-time decision against the Illini.

There's a lot to unpack if the Badgers are indeed without Wahl. First of all, who will start in his place? Greg Gard has managed to keep his starting lineup intact for 13 games. It's no secret that Wisconsin's depth is lacking, especially at forward. The most plausible scenario for Guard is to give junior Carter Gilmore the nod at the four spot.

Gilmore has averaged about 18 minutes per game, and has 180 more minutes than the next forward off the bench, Marcus Ilver. Wisconsin will lose a couple inches of height without Wahl, as Gilmore is listed as two inches shorter (6-foot-7') than the injured forward. Gilmore has been a consistent rotational player, and while he's not much of a scoring threat, he's been a solid defender with 13 steals and two blocks.

However, therein lies the issue — how will Wisconsin account for the missing 14 or so points they get from Wahl on a nightly basis? Wahl has taken over as the team's leading scorer and top option in the post. In his absence, the entire team will need to elevate their game.

Steven Crowl, particularly, will need to continue his hot stretch. Two games ago, Crowl notched a season-high 25 points against Western Michigan. Against Minnesota, with Wahl absent for the second half, he recorded his second-highest point total of the year with 17. The Badgers need a forceful presence around the rim, and without Wahl, much of that onus falls on Crowl.

Again, Wahl is day-to-day and could ultimately play against the Illini. But if he can't, Wisconsin is about to find out a lot about their team. There's no more cupcakes on the schedule, no more time to feel out the roster. And yet, that's exactly what the Badgers will have to do on the fly without Wahl. Can Wisconsin find points elsewhere? They're a top-20 three point shooting team nationally — do they emphasize perimeter play more? Can Gilmore provide quality starting minutes? Can Ilver make an impact off the bench?

Illinois is in a tough stretch right now. Since a November 29th blowout of Syracuse, they've been alternating wins and losses. The Illini are beating the teams they're supposed to beat, like Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman. They also beat a talented and highly ranked Texas team in an overtime thriller in Austin. Then they've lost some winnable games, like Maryland, Penn State and Missouri. Their most recent result was a seven point loss to Northwestern, which dropped the Illini to 0-3 in conference play.

The player to keep an eye on is senior guard Terrance Shannon. Shannon was a good scorer for three years at Texas Tech, but now the Chicago native is back in his home state putting up serious numbers. He averages 17.1 points per game — his high in three years with the Red Raiders was 12.9. His signature performance on the season was a 29-point double-double against UCLA, in which he shot 8-of-9 from three.

Another key transfer the Illini rely on is the former Baylor Bear, Matthew Meyer. After four seasons in Waco, Meyer wound up in Champaign. The 6-foot-9 forward is a talented, savvy veteran, and he's begun to pick up his scoring for Illinois. By early December, Meyer's highest point total was 11, getting to double figures just once. Since then, however, he's gotten to double figures five times in his last six games. A key cog but not necessarily a focal point on several stacked Baylor teams, Meyer now has the chance to be a top scorer for Illinois.

The Illini have some definite strengths and some glaring weaknesses. They shoot 57.5% on two-point shots, which is 11th in the nation, according to KenPom. Even so, they only shoot free throws at a 65.6% clip. They also turn the ball over much more frequently than Wisconsin, as their turnover percentage ranks in the 300s nationally. If Wisconsin can limit Shannon's scoring, and play sound, fundamental basketball as a whole, the Badgers can win this game even without Wahl.

Finally, freshman guard Skyy Clark announced on Friday that he was leaving the Illinois basketball team. Clark averaged 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists this season. He started in 12 of his 13 games at Illinois.

“Skyy has made the decision to take some time away from basketball," coach Brad Underwood said in a statement. "He remains a valued part of our program and will continue to receive our full support. Skyy is a thoughtful, caring young man who right now needs to prioritize himself and his family. This is bigger than basketball. We understand that and stand with him every step of the way.”

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