PREVIEW - No. 15 Wisconsin vs. Penn State

Matchup

No. 15 Wisconsin (16-3 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) vs. Penn State (11-9 overall, 3-4 Big Ten)

When/Where

Saturday, Jan. 24 | 8:00 p.m. CST | Madison, Wisconsin

Broadcast

TV – BTN

Radio – 101.5 FM | 1310 AM | Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas

Streaming – BTN2Go

At a Glance

Penn State is in the most vigorous part of their conference schedule having played Indiana as well as Purdue – both of which were losses for PSU – and things won’t be getting any easier as the Lions travel to Madison to face the No. 15 ranked Wisconsin Badgers, who currently sit one win behind Maryland for control of the Big Ten Conference.

Head Coach

Greg Gard: 31–11 (.738)

Last Time Out

The Badgers had a bit of a scare the last time they were on the floor. On the road, the Badgers were forced into an overtime grudge match versus a much-improved rival Minnesota. Heading to the locker room at halftime the Badgers were down 34-32, but Wisconsin battled back with help from sophomore forward Ethan Happ and yet another clutch 3-point shot from Bronson Koenig. Happ finished the night with multiple career highs and Koenig’s 3-pointer gave the Badgers a 1-point lead with 44 seconds remaining, leading to a 78-76 win for UW.

Nigel Hayes – 21 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal

Ethan Happ – 28 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assist, 5 blocks, 1 steal

Bronson Koenig – 11 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists

Quick Facts

- Wisconsin has won 12 of its last 13 games with the team's last loss coming over 3 weeks ago versus Purdue.

- Wisconsin is a perfect 11-0 at home this season and has won 17-straight at the Kohl Center.

- Wisconsin is 33-12 all-time versus Penn State.

Head Coach

Pat Chambers: 83-98 (.498)

Last Time Out

While the Lions put up a valiant effort versus Indiana, their last outing versus Purdue was a less respectable showing. By halftime the Boilermakers had established a 41-23 lead thanks a shooting percentage of 28.1. The 18 point deficit proved to steep for PSU to overcome in the second half despite improved play. Purdue continued to show why they are one of the several teams in contention for a Big Ten title, sending Penn State home after a 77-52 loss.

Quick Facts

- Last time two these teams met Wisconsin won, 66-60.

- The last time PSU beat UW was in 2014 in Happy Valley by a score of 70-68.

- Wisconsin and Penn State first played round ball on Dec. 5, 1959. The Badgers won 63-54.

Wisconsin – 77

Penn State – 62

(Badgers are favored by 14 in the spread)