No. 22 Wisconsin (8-1, 1-0) vs. No. 21 Ohio State (7-2, 1-0)
Game: Saturday, Dec. 11 inside the Value City Arena
Time: 11:00 PM (CT)
Watch: BTN (Cory Provus and Robbie Hummel)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Ohio State 64, Wisconsin 61
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
Wisconsin’s tough early schedule rolls on as it heads to Columbus for a matchup with Ohio State. The Buckeyes come into Saturday's contest with a 7-2 record and a résumé that includes an upset of then-No. 1 Duke on its home floor.
The Badgers (8-1) have found ways to win through nine games this season. Despite being a young, inexperienced group and a program that has traditionally had a tough time climbing back from big deficits, they’ve now managed to overcome leads of 10, 16 and 22 points this season.
“Hopefully nobody left early, in terms of fans. If they did, that’ll teach them to not give up on this team,” head coach Greg Gard said following a 64-59 win over Indiana on Wednesday.
Johnathan Davis (led all scorers with 23 points) was a usual suspect in the come-back win over the Hoosiers, and Chris Vogt also provided a needed punch off the bench. Along with his usual energy, rebounding and defense, the Cincinnati transfer tallied nine points after the bench scored just nine total against Marquette.
“He has a potential to do that and I’ve seen that in practice," Gard said. "He hits that left handed and right handed hook off the glass all the time if he has the angle.
“He understands who he is and what his role is, and defensively he did a pretty good job. Seven-foot-one when it’s walled up and chested up is hard to score on.”
After dealing with Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson on Wednesday, Vogt and UW's front court will be tested again on Saturday. Ohio State is a deep group, headlined by the tandem of EJ Liddell and Zed Key, both of whom are complemented by veteran Kyle Young off the bench.
Liddell, a junior, has been a consistent threat for the Buckeyes as a stretch big who can knock down open jumpers and also take it to the basket. Key is more of a traditional big who does his work inside. Late in the game against Duke, the Buckeyes ran their offense through Key and he delivered important buckets inside.
In the backcourt, Jamari Wheeler and Justin Ahrens present different problems for defenses. A Penn State transfer, Wheeler forces the issue by getting downhill and creating for himself and teammates. He currently leads the Buckeyes with 4.4 assists per contest. Ahrens, on the other hand, is a traditional knock-down shooter, evidenced by his 44 percent clip from behind the arc this season. The senior will challenge Wisconsin's discipline as head coach Chris Holtman tries to get him open looks with pin-down screening actions.
Saturday will be the 169th meeting between the two schools with Ohio State holding a 93-75 edge in the series. UW comes in winners of six of the last nine matchups.
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