No. 15 Wisconsin (9-2) vs. Western Michigan (4-8)
Game: Friday, Dec. 30 inside the Kohl Center
Time: 7:00 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: Wisconsin 77, Western Michigan 54
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting Line: Wisconsin -21.5
PRE-GAME NOTES
Wisconsin basketball is in a great spot with conference play right around the corner. Steadily underrated and consistently overachieving, the Badgers find themselves at No. 15 in the AP poll after their game against Grambling was cancelled. Now, Wisconsin stares down one more out of conference foe, this time the Western Michigan Broncos of the MAC.
For a Badgers team that hasn't played in two full weeks, the Broncos should be a good opponent to ease them back into playing basketball. They're 4-8, and they've beaten teams such as Siena Heights, Concordia Michigan, and Goshen. They did nearly upset Minnesota on opening night, losing by one point. But these Broncos haven't fared well against colleges that most people recognize.
The Badgers put together a solid team performance against Lehigh two weeks ago. Despite trailing by one at the intermission, Wisconsin was able to pull away and nearly double Lehigh's points in the second half. Jordan Davis logged a season-high 14 points while hitting four threes, and Steven Crowl led the scoring with 15. The Badgers shot a deadly 52.4% from deep. With how fundamentally sound this team is, it'll be nearly impossible to beat them when they're that accurate from downtown.
Western Michigan is led by their senior guard Lamar Norman Jr. After transferring in from Duquesne a year ago and putting up nearly 20 points-per-game, Norman declared for the NBA Draft. However, he maintained his eligibility and elected to return for his fifth year in college basketball. Norman is putting on a show once again this season, averaging 18.3 points on an efficient 43.3% from the field. For a Broncos team that doesn't boast a lot of height or interior presence, they rely on Norman's elite scoring ability to keep them in games.
One of the main reasons Western Michigan has struggled this season is its poor shooting. As a team, they only shoot 28.5% from three, which is among the lowest in the nation. They play a similarly slow pace to the Badgers, but it hasn't helped them find higher percentage shots. They also have a turnover percentage of 18.52%, which won't fly in the Kohl Center.
Another thing that stands out about the Broncos is their ability to grab offensive rebounds, something Wisconsin hasn't had the best results with. With how sound Wisconsin's defense has been, this is one of the only imaginable paths to victory for Western Michigan — they gobble up offensive boards, getting their shooters like Norman and Tray Maddox second chances to make the Badgers pay. The Badgers will have to clean up the glass and gang rebound to ensure the Broncos don't get any cheap extra possessions.
After a long break, it'll be a quick turnaround for Wisconsin after they host Western
Michigan. The Golden Gophers come to town on January 3rd as the meat of the Big Ten schedule starts. Friday night in the Kohl Center should serve as Wisconsin's final tune-up before their conference gauntlet begins.
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