The match-up:

No. 17 Wisconsin (7-2 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Idaho State (1-7 overall, 0-0 Big Sky)

When/Where:

Wednesday, Dec. 7 | 7:00 p.m. CST | Madison, Wisconsin

Broadcast:

T.V. – ESPN 3

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

Stream – WatchESPN

At a glance

The No. 17 Badgers are riding a three-game winning streak having not lost since the final round of the Maui Jim Maui Tournament versus No. 7 North Carolina, while Idaho State is another story entirely. The Bengals are currently in the basement of the modest Big Sky conference, sitting dead last and having only won a single game versus Lamar University. With Wisconsin coming off two upright wins versus rigid competition, UW’s win streak should continue to roll Wednesday evening.

Wisconsin's last outing

Wisconsin had arguably its best performance of the season in its last outing, defeating Oklahoma, 90-70, after beating Syracuse earlier in the week. The 90 offensive points is nearly 15 above UW’s season average, while the 70 points allowed on the defensive end was over five points below their average allowance. The central cause for the Badgers offensive explosion was an impressive showing from star forward Nigel Hayes, who had 28 points, six assists and zero turnovers. Ethan Happ, Bronson Koenig and D’Mitrik Trice each added 16 points of their own, while Vitto Brown (5), Zak Showalter (4) and Khalil Iverson (4) rounded out the scoring for UW.

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Nigel Hayes – 28 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 0 turnovers

Ethan Happ – 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks

Bronson Koenig – 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers

Quick facts

- UW is 43-8 in regular-season, non-conference games since 2012.

- Wisconsin is 13-2 at home under Greg Gard.

- The Badgers are 18-2 under Greg Gard when shooting at least 42 percent.

Idaho State's last outing

After getting their first win of the season over Lamar, the Bengals slipped back into the losing track by dropping a close 79-76 game to the Cal State Northridge Matadors. The match was even more heartbreaking for the Idaho State, as it tied the game at 76 with eight seconds remaining only to have CSUN hit a game-winning shot just moments later. The Bengals had a 73-72 lead with just over two minutes remaining, even having the chance to go up 75-72 inside of a minute, but they couldn't find a way to close out the Matadors.

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Ethan Telfair - 26 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

Brandon Boyd - 22 points, 1 assist, 2 rebounds, 1 steal

Novak Topalovic - 12 points, 1 assits, 6 rebounds, 1 steal

Quick facts

- In 1977 Idaho State advance to the Elite Eight after beating UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen.

- Jared Allen and Marvin Lewis of the NFL attended Idaho State.

- The Bengals are 49-4 in games where at least one of the teams scores 100 points.

With the Badgers finding their stride as of late and with the Bengals struggling, this should be a fairly one-sided affair. Wisconsin's talent is on another tier from Idaho State and that will likely be demonstrated on the scoreboard early. UW will come out fast and try to build an early, comfortable lead. From there, Wisconsin will dip deeper into its bench than it has the past couple of games, building depth for the long road ahead.

Wisconsin - 90

Bengals - 55