No.11 Wisconsin (8-1, 0-1 Big Ten) vs. No.5 Marquette (8-1, 0-0 Big East)

Date/Time – Saturday, December 7, 12:30 p.m.

Arena – Fiserv Forum (17,385)

Watch – FOX (Jeff Levering and Jim Jackson)

Radio – Badgers Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch), Sirius 113 or 197, stream online on iHeartRadio.

Series – Wisconsin leads 71-59 (Marquette leads 41-30 in Milwaukee)

Last Meeting - Wisconsin won, 75-63, on Dec.2, 2023, in Madison

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

Betting line: Marquette -6.5

Player to Watch: Klesmit is shooting career-worst overall (32.6 percent) and from three-point range (25.4). Over the last four games, Klesmit is 9-for-39 from the floor (23.1 percent) and 5-for-28 from the perimeter (17.9). In last season’s win over third-ranked Marquette, Klesmit scored 21 points (all in the first half).

Player to watch: With Chase Ross questionable with an ankle injury, freshman Royce Parham could see significant minutes. Against No.5 Iowa State Wednesday, Parham finished with a career-best 17 points, shooting 7-of-12 overall and 3-of-4 from behind the 3-point line. He also grabbed four rebounds and had a blocked shot in 23 minutes.

Wisconsin’s most played nonconference opponent, the Badgers and Golden Eagles have played every year but one since the 1958-59 season.

Marquette has met only DePaul more times (135) than Wisconsin in program history.

UW has won three straight games in the series, the longest streak by either team since Wisconsin won four straight from 1998-2001.

Saturday's game will mark the first meeting since 2011 and just the 5th all-time in which both UW and MU have been ranked. The Badgers are 3-1 in such meetings.

In the Greg Gard era, UW is 5-3 vs. Marquette and averaged 76.4 ppg in those eight meetings. UW has scored at least 75 points and shot at least 42 percent from the field in each of the five wins.

UW has 13 victories over top-10 teams under Gard, which includes eight wins over top-five teams.

UW scored 79+ points in each of its first seven games, the longest such streak in school history. The Badgers are averaging 82.9 ppg, on pace to challenge the highest single-season scoring average in school history (1970-71 - 86.3 ppg).

Wisconsin is taking (26.2 3FGA) and making (9.0 3FG) 3-pointers over the first nine games. That's UW's highest average in both categories since the inception of the 3-point line in 1986-87.

Wisconsin is holding teams to 29.2 percent from 3-point range this season. Only one of UW's last seven opponents hit 30 percent or better from deep (UTRGV).

Despite increased scoring and pace, the Badgers continue taking care of the basketball. UW is averaging 9.3 turnovers per game - best in the Big Ten.

Senior guard Kam Jones is ranked second in the BIG EAST and 10th in the nation in assists (60) and 12th in assists per game (6.7).

Marquette is second in the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6),

Marquette’s bench averaged 8.8 points per night in the first six games. In the last three outings, however, its reserves have averaged 32.0 points per game, highlighted by a season-best 37 points in the victory over Western Carolina.

The Golden Eagles top the Big East and tied for fifth in the country in turnover margin (+7.4).

There won’t be many teams that Wisconsin will play that are as active as Marquette is. The Golden Eagles have an adjusted defensive efficiency (93.2) that is nearly identical to Michigan (92.7). But while the Wolverines anchor their unit with two 7-footers, the Golden Eagles do it with speed and quick hands.

Shaka Smart challenges the rotation to generate around 32 deflections a game, getting a hand on passes to disrupt the offensive flow and create transition opportunities. This season, MU has averaged 42.3 deflections per game (383 total). That number has translated to 11.4 steals per game (second-best nationally) and 16.1 fast-break points (28th nationally).

In Marquette’s 70-62 win over Central Michigan on November 11, Marquette finished with a single-game high 65 deflections. That number was largely created by junior guard Charlie Ross. In 36 minutes of action, Ross collected 18 deflections, marking the most in a game by a Marquette player since Shaka Smart’s arrival in 2021-22. Ross owns the top three single-game totals at MU (18 - CMU, 15 - Purdue, 14 - George Mason), and is averaging a team-best 9.1 deflections per game.

He might be a significant piece on the bench. Ross injured his ankle in Wednesday’s loss at Iowa State and is listed as doubtful. Freshmen forwards Royce Parham and Damarius Owens picked up the slack in combining for 28 points and six rebounds and will likely be learned on again.

UW’s offense struggles were clear on Tuesday. The Badgers settled for too many jump shots instead of getting to the rim, resulting in Michigan getting out in transition and the Badgers not scoring from the line. The Wolverines’ 19-4 edge in fast-break points and UW making six free throws below its season average was a big difference in a three-point loss, not to mention going 6-for-27 from three-point range.

This will be a competitive game between two good teams. The edge usually goes to the home team, so if Wisconsin wins this one, they will fully deserve the title of Kings of the State for a fourth straight year.

Worgull’s Prediction: Marquette by 6

Record: 6-3 (6-3 ATS)

Points off Prediction: 92 (10.2 per game)

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