Wisconsin (13-8) vs. Northwestern (15-7)
Game: Sunday, Feb. 5 inside the Kohl Center
Time: 5:30 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 61, Northwestern 58
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
The Badgers picked up a massive win against Ohio State on the road Thursday, stopping their skid and getting them back to just one game under .500 in Big Ten play.
It was a game Wisconsin essentially had to win. A four-game losing streak in conference play would've just about doomed this team's tournament chances. They're still on incredibly thin ice when it comes to the postseason, but breaking even in the Big Ten might be enough to punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Thus, every game remaining is of enormous magnitude.
Wisconsin's next chance to improve their resume will come Sunday when the Wildcats roll into town. Northwestern already beat the Badgers on January 23rd in a thriller in Evanston. Coming off extra rest due to the game initially being rescheduled, Wisconsin came out flat in the first half and couldn't put it away despite outscoring the Wildcats in the second half.
It was a winnable game for the Badgers, one they'll assuredly look back on with regret. Wisconsin had all kinds of problems in Welsh-Ryan arena. They missed nine of their final ten shots and went ice cold down the stretch (sound familiar?). They only shot 10-of-31 from downtown.
Northwestern's defense was swarming, setting the tone physically and keeping Wisconsin from running what they wanted to run offensively. They forced Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl into highly inefficient performances, which doomed the Badgers. Hepburn shot 4-of-16 from the field and 3-of-9 from downtown. Wahl scored 11 points — on 10 shots.
In the sequel, Wisconsin simply must play better on offense. They need to play at their own pace and not let the Wildcats' stingy defense get them off-kilter. Greg Gard may have to get creative — Northwestern was all over the Badgers typical screening and pick-and-roll action. They're particularly adept at switching off the ball, which is a big reason why Wisconsin was struggling to find the open man in the first meeting.
Steven Crowl must be a bigger factor offensively than he was the first time around. He scored eight points on 3-of-7 from the floor, the only starter to not reach double figures. Wisconsin's offense is at its best when they can feed Crowl inside and let him go to work. The Wildcats are too good on the perimeter defensively for the Badgers to rely on outside shooting Sunday.
The Big Ten is riddled with technically sound teams, and Northwestern is no outlier. They take care of the ball but they also take it away: their steal percentage (7.2) is sixth-best in the nation, according to KenPom.
Once again, Boo Buie and Chase Audige will be the primary players Wisconsin needs to shut down. In the first meeting, those two combined to drop 36 points on the Badgers. The senior guards are the heart of this upstart Northwestern team, and both can score in a variety of ways. They each like to let it fly from deep, averaging about six three-point attempts per game. Neither has been the most efficient shooter, but they get it done with their array of offensive tools. They also each contribute in other ways — Audige has racked up an impressive 58 steals, while Buie has dished out 99 assists on the season.
Wisconsin has already danced with the Wildcats once this season, and they came up short in crunch time. They'll need to fare better Sunday at the Kohl Center to keep their season afloat.
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