Preview: No. 19 Wisconsin looks for a split against Penn State in rematch
No. 19 Wisconsin (13-5, 7-4) vs. Penn State (6-7, 3-6)
Game: Tuesday, Feb. 2 inside the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin
Time: 7:30 PM
Watch: BTN (Brandon Gaudin and Stephen Bardo)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
In the midst of a postponement-filled 2020-21 season, No.19 Wisconsin has a rare opportunity to avenge Saturday's loss to Penn State just three days later.
The series with Penn State presented an opportunity for Wisconsin to string wins together in Big Ten play, something it had yet to do this season. The good news, though, after Saturday's loss? Going back to last season, Wisconsin is 7-0 in rematch contests where it lost the first game against a conference opponent. UW passed its first such test earlier this year against Maryland.
"It's a great thing," senior forward Nate Reuvers said Saturday about playing Penn State right away. "Coach said we failed the test today but you get a retake to redo it and change your grade in the grade book."
As has been the case throughout the season, Saturday's defeat could be pointed to inconsistency on the defensive end. With hopes of a deep run come March, the Badgers will once again look to take another stride on that end.
"That’s the word I use more than any word in the locker room with the guys," Greg Gard said postgame regarding the team's inconsistency. "It’s just at times we are really good and for us to play at a high level we have to be good on that end of the floor. The notion that we’re good enough to outscore teams is a fairy tale.
"We have to be really good defensively, and at times we were. But for the large majority today (Saturday), we were not. That is what’s frustrating is that we were so good against almost the same type of team Wednesday night at Maryland, who runs the same type of offensive system or attack. We were so good with it Wednesday night - kept the ball out of the paint - and today we don’t."
The Penn State trio of Izaiah Brockington and Myreon Jones, the team's leading scorers, along with John Harrar, presented the most issues for Wisconsin. The three accounted for 36 of the team's second half points. Jones was a consistent threat for PSU, scoring a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Containing the dribble penetration from the pair of guards will be one of the keys to the game for UW.
The Badgers are hoping Reuvers is getting back to form after he tied his season-high with 18 points on Saturday. His performance was the second time in three contests where the senior finished in double figures, something Reuvers hasn't done since the opening four games of the season.
Tuesday night's game marks the 51st meeting between the two schools. Saturday's loss snapped a 13-game winning streak over the Nittany Lions. UW owns a 39-11 record against PSU. Wisconsin has won 19 straight at home against Penn State, including a spotless 16-0 record inside the Kohl Center.
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| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
D'Mitrik Trice (R-Sr.) |
6-0, 184 |
14.1 |
3.3 |
3.8 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 202 |
9.1 |
3.1 |
2.3 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (So.) |
6-9, 220 |
5.7 |
4.4 |
1.6 |
|
F |
Aleem Ford (R-Sr.) |
6-8, 217 |
9.6 |
4.5 |
1.1 |
|
F |
Micah Potter (R-Sr.) |
6-10, 248 |
12.3 |
6.6 |
1.3 |
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| Pos. | Penn State | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Jamari Wheeler (Sr.) |
6-1, 170 |
5.2 |
4.1 |
4.0 |
|
G |
Myreon Jones (Jr.) |
6-3, 180 |
15.8 |
2.9 |
2.3 |
|
G |
Izaiah Brockington (Jr.) |
6-4, 200 |
15.2 |
5.0 |
1.7 |
|
F |
Seth Lundy (So.) |
6-6, 219 |
12.9 |
4.3 |
0.8 |
|
F |
John Harrar (Sr.) |
6-9, 240 |
8.5 |
8.3 |
0.8 |
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