Preview: No. 14 Wisconsin looks to keep it rolling against red-hot Rutgers

No. 14 Wisconsin (19-4, 10-3) vs. Rutgers (14-9, 8-5)

Game: Saturday, Feb. 12 inside the Kohl Center

Time: 1:00 PM CT

Watch: FS1 (Lisa Byington and Brian Butch)

Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio

Prediction: Wisconsin 65, Rutgers 57

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

No. 14 Wisconsin welcomes red-hot Rutgers to the Kohl Center for a Saturday afternoon tilt. The Scarlet Knights enter Madison as winners of two straight games against ranked opponents after knocking off No. 13 Michigan State and No. 16 Ohio State.

The consecutive wins mark a high point in what has been an overall down year for Steve Pikiell's program. Prior to the pair of victories, Rutgers had lost three of its previous four games, with the lone win a two-point victory over last place Nebraska.

Rutgers is prone to becoming stagnant on the offensive end and getting late in the shot clock, which is reflected in its 13th ranked offense in the conference (68.2 points per contest). The veteran roster, however, is talented. Leading the way is gifted scorer Ron Harper Jr., who is shooting 45 percent from three in conference play. The senior wing has scored 20 or more points six times this season, including a 30-point outburst in a win over then-No. 1 Purdue.

Harper Jr. gets much of his help on the offensive end from backcourt teammates Paul Mulcahy and Geo Baker. Mulcahy, who has finished in double figures in each of the last four games and is averaging 19.3 points, 8.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds over the last three games, has been a key cog for the Scarlet Knights as of late. The junior helps run the offense and also a knack for getting to the rim while also having the ability to knock down open threes.

For much of the season these previews have highlighted the matchup for Steven Crowl, but Saturday's matchup will be one of the toughest of the season for Chucky Hepburn. Wisconsin's freshman lead guard will match up with fifth-year point guard Geo Baker, who can score in bunches. Baker led the upset of Ohio State this past Wednesday with 25 points, including eight of his team's final 10. Baker has a crafty of way of navigating screens to unlock a mid-range pull up and is a high-volume shooter from beyond the arc. He has totaled 25 points or more on three occasions this season.

Despite struggles on the offensive end, Rutgers has proven to be stout on defense. The Scarlet Knights currently have the second best unit in that department in the Big Ten, holding teams to 64.8 points per game. Hepburn has just one turnover in the last two games but will now deal with Caleb McConnell, who leads the conference in steals (48) and steals per game (2.1).

With Johnny Davis returning to form in the road victory over Michigan State, Greg Gard is hoping senior guard Brad Davison finds his shot again. Davison has failed to reach double digits in the past three contests and is averaging just 8.0 points per game on 25 percent shooting (3-19 from three) during that stretch.

Saturday afternoon will be the 13th all-time meeting between the two programs with Wisconsin leading the series, 9-3, including a 5-0 record at home. The matchup will be UW's last home appearance before a stretch of three road games over the next four contests.

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