Preview: No. 13 Wisconsin looks to avenge loss against No. 16 Ohio State
No. 13 Wisconsin (13-2, 4-1) vs. No. 16 Ohio State (10-3, 4-1)
Game: Thursday, Jan. 13 inside the Kohl Center
Time: 6:00 P.M. CT
Watch: ESPN2 (Jason Benetti and Jon Crispin)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 73, Ohio State 66
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
Riding a five-game winning streak, Wisconsin returns to the Kohl Center on Thursday evening for a showdown against Ohio State. The Badgers' lone conference defeat came at the hands of the Buckeyes, a 73-55 loss in Columbus earlier this season. Wisconsin's 13-2 start is its best since the 2016-17 season, and Greg Gard's group has done so while playing the fifth toughest schedule in the country.
The most challenging assignment on Thursday will once again fall on Wisconsin's big men. Talented forward EJ Liddell, who totaled 28 points on 11-16 shooting - in addition to nine rebounds - was a problem in the first contest. Conversely, the Badgers' trio of Steven Crowl, Chris Vogt and Tyler Wahl combined to haul in just five boards in the first contest against the Buckeyes.
Liddell is complimented by a pair of tough big men in Kyle Young and Zed Key. Those three helped limit Wisconsin's second-chance opportunities and made things tough inside. Young finished with 14 rebounds off the bench to help Ohio State out-rebound Wisconsin, 49-28.
In the backcourt, Malaki Branham, who was held scoreless in the first game against Wisconsin, has come on as of late. After finishing in double figures just once in the first 10 games, the freshman guard has now done so in each of the past three contests The former four-star recruit is coming off a 24-point outing against Northwestern and a 35-point performance three games ago against Nebraska.
When Wisconsin has the ball, the player to watch will be Wahl, who is coming off a career-high 21 points in the win over Maryland. Guards Johnny Davis and Brad Davison are hoping the junior can be a consistent third scoring option moving forward.
In the first meeting against the Buckeyes, Davis shot 11-22 from the field for 24 points, while the rest of the team went 11-43. When you add in Davison, the duo tallied 37 of UW's 55 points in the loss to Ohio State.
Tonight will be the 170th meeting between the two schools with Ohio State leading the series, 94-75. Wisconsin has lost the last two meetings but holds a 49-34 edge at home.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Chucky Hepburn (Fr.) |
6-2, 211 |
7.6 |
2.1 |
2.1 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 200 |
14.8 |
4.3 |
1.9 |
|
W |
Jonathan Davis (So.) |
6-5, 194 |
22.6 |
7.4 |
2.8 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (Jr.) |
6-9, 221 |
9.4 |
5.3 |
1.4 |
|
F |
Steven Crowl (So.) |
7-0, 234 |
8.7 |
4.5 |
1.1 |
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| Pos. | Ohio State | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Jamari Wheeler (Sr.) |
6-1, 170 |
6.9 |
3.8 |
4.4 |
|
G |
Malaki Branham (Fr.) |
6-5, 180 |
10.2 |
3.5 |
2.0 |
|
F |
Justin Ahrens (Sr.) |
6-6, 195 |
7.5 |
3.0 |
1.3 |
|
F |
EJ Liddell (Sr.) |
6-7, 240 |
20.1 |
7.2 |
2.6 |
|
F |
Zed Key (So.) |
6-8, 245 |
9.3 |
5.7 |
0.8 |
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