PREVIEW: No. 16 Wisconsin vs. Prairie View A&M
The match-up:
No. 16 Wisconsin (4-2 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Prairie View A&M (2-4 overall, 0-0 SWAC)
When/Where:
Sunday, Nov. 27 | 1:00 p.m. CST | Madison, Wisconsin
Broadcast:
T.V. – ESPN3
Radio – 101.5 FM | 1310 AM | Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas
Stream – WatchESPN
At a glance:
The Badgers are coming home after finishing second in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. Wisconsin is looking to rebound after losing in the championship round to one of the best teams in the country, No. 4 North Carolina. Prairie View A&M has had an even tougher go than UW early this season, losing four games with wins only coming against Fresno State and Jarvis Christian. The Badgers haven’t been shooting well, so with a lesser opponent coming to Madison, it could be a chance for the Cardinal and White to find some rhythm on the offensive end.
Wisconsin Badgers
Last outing
Wisconsin lost its much-anticipated matchup versus North Carolina, 56-71. The Badgers' defense gave UNC more trouble than the Heels had experienced leading up the contest, but the Badgers’ offense couldn't get anything. UW has struggled early this season shooting and avoiding careless turnovers. Bucky picked it up in the second half, scoring 36 after only scoring 20 in the first. Despite the disappointing finale, the second place finish is the best in Wisconsin’s three-year history at the Maui Invitational.
| Name | Career Record | Winning Percentage |
|---|---|---|
|
Greg Gard |
19-10 |
.655 |
| No. | Name | Year | Position | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10 |
Nigel Hayes |
Sr. |
F |
10.7 |
|
22 |
Ethan Happ |
R-So. |
F |
11.8 |
|
24 |
Bronson Koenig |
Sr. |
G |
15.0 |
|
03 |
Zak Showalter |
R-Sr. |
G |
6.0 |
|
30 |
Vitto Brown |
Sr. |
F |
7.8 |
|
00 |
D'Mitrik Trice |
Fr. |
G |
4.8 |
|
11 |
Jordan Hill |
R-Jr. |
G |
1.5 |
|
15 |
Charlie Thomas IV |
So. |
F |
3.0 |
|
21 |
Khalil Iverson |
So. |
G/F |
4.5 |
|
25 |
Alex Illikainen |
So. |
F |
2.7 |
|
33 |
Andy Van Vilet |
So. |
F |
1.5 |
Badger’s quick facts
- UW is 20-12 versus top 25 opponents in the last three years.
- The Wisconsin senior class has 91 total wins (29.3 per season over past three seasons), just 24 short of the all-time record of 115 set by the recent 2015 class.
- Last year Wisconsin beat Prairie View by a score of 85-67.
Prairie View A&M Panthers
Last outing -
The Panthers played Lamar last Friday, losing by a score of 91-83. The game was contested early with Prairie View holding a six-point lead in first half. That lead was erased as Lamar’s shooting in the second half took over the game. LU shot over 62 percent from three-point range, and A&M’s 45 percent clip from the field just couldn't keep up.
| Name | Career Record | Winning Percentage |
|---|---|---|
|
Byron |
Smith |
.333 |
| No. | Name | Year | Position | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
14 |
Zachary Hamilton |
Jr. |
F |
13.8 |
|
23 |
Admassu Williams |
Sr. |
F |
6.8 |
|
11 |
Ja'Donta Blakely |
Sr. |
G |
6.2 |
|
30 |
L.J. Westbrook |
Jr. |
G |
11.3 |
|
25 |
Daquan Cook |
Sr. |
G |
12.8 |
|
21 |
Shay'rone Jett |
Jr. |
F |
5.3 |
|
12 |
JD Wallace |
Jr. |
C |
4.2 |
|
05 |
Tevin Bellinger |
Sr. |
G |
5.0 |
|
01 |
Troy Thompson |
Sr. |
G |
2.0 |
|
22 |
Shaquille Preston |
Fr. |
G |
3.2 |
Panthers’ quick facts -
- Coach Byron Smith was the interim coach of Prairie View A&M for the final 12 games of last season before receiving the full time job going forward.
- The Panthers' main weapon is Zachary Hamilton. He has average 17.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and is shooting right around 50 percent from anywhere on the floor.
- PVAMU is the second oldest public university in the state of Texas.
Game Prediction
Wisconsin – 83
Prairie View A&M - 68