No. 13 Wisconsin (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) at Minnesota (12-6, 3-4)
Game: Tuesday, Jan. 23 in Williams Arena in Minneapolis, MN
Time: 6:00 P.M. CT
Watch: BTN
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 79, Minnesota 71
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting line: Wisconsin -4.5 (according to ESPN BET)
PRE-GAME NOTES
Minnesota will host the No. 13 Badgers amidst a recent skid. After winning seven straight games throughout December and early January, the Gophers have gone on a tailspin, losing their last three matchups by 31 total points.
They now sit in the lower half of the Big Ten, hoping to improve their standing against the team currently atop the conference standings.
The re-emergence of their best player, Dawson Garcia, hasn’t been enough to prevent the losing streak. His 17.7 points per game make him Minnesota’s leading scorer and the sixth-highest in the Big Ten this season. Garcia has scored in double figures every game this season, not counting the time he missed due to an ankle injury.
The 6-foot-11 forward went down on Dec. 6 against Nebraska, sidelining him for the following three games. Since returning at the end of December, he’s slowly regained his scoring prowess, but has struggled with efficiency. In the six games since his return, Garcia’s averaging 17 points per game, but on 39.4% shooting.
Against one of the best teams in the Big Ten, the Gophers may need a performance from Garcia that’s both productive and efficient.
Also starting in the frontcourt is Joshua Ola-Joseph, who has all the scoring efficiency that Garcia lacks. Of all Big Ten players averaging over 10.0 points per game, Ola-Joseph is second in field goal percentage at 63.6%.
The 6-foot-7 sophomore has emerged as the most consistently reliable option for the Gophers behind Garcia, scoring in double figures in 11 of their past 14 games.
The major concern for the Gophers’ core will be the status of starting point guard Elijah Hawkins.
The 5-foot-11 junior has become one of the most important ball handlers in the Big Ten, averaging a nation-leading 7.8 assists per game. His playmaking presence is almost as valuable as Garcia’s scoring presence.
Hawkins sprained his ankle during their game against Iowa on January 15, and missed their most recent matchup in Michigan State. His status is yet to be determined for Tuesday’s matchup and will be the center of attention leading up to tip-off.
The Badgers will enter with momentum, but are ultimately quite vulnerable.
They’ll play Minnesota just two games removed from the loss to Penn State, which exposed some cracks in Wisconsin’s armor. The Badgers gave up 87 points to a mediocre Nittany Lions team. Anything feels possible.
Wisconsin did roar back in the most recent game against Indiana, scoring 91 — its highest point total since the season opener.
Once again, Max Klesmit led the scoring charge for the Badgers. He finished with 26 points, including 20 consecutive points over a four-and-a-half minute span in the second half.
Klesmit’s offensive success came in spurts for most of the season, unable to piece together consecutive double-digit scoring nights until recently. But he’s now averaging 16 points per game over their last six, finishing as Wisconsin’s leading scorer on three of those nights.
The perimeter duo of Klesmit and A.J. Storr is becoming Wisconsin’s bread and butter on offense.
Against Indiana, Storr put up a quiet 15 points on 8-of-10 free throw shooting. He’s still the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.3 points per game, but his 38.3% shooting over the last three games is less than ideal. At least he has Klesmit.
On the other side of the ball for Wisconsin, their main priority will be to limit Garcia. Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl will try to combat his size and crowd the paint, while the perimeter bodies — namely Klesmit, Storr and John Blackwell — will have to keep up with his athleticism.
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