Preview: No. 24 Wisconsin hosts George Mason in a non-conference clash
No. 24 Wisconsin (9-2, 1-1) vs. George Mason (7-5, 0-0)
Game: Thursday, Dec. 23 inside the Kohl Center
Time: 6 pm (CT)
Watch: Big Ten Network (Telly Hughes and Brian Butch)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 71, George Mason 55
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
After it jumped through scheduling hurdles this week, Wisconsin is set to host mid-major foe George Mason. In swapping opponents, the Badgers are facing a tougher test and a potential resume booster come March. For context, the Patriots throttled Morgan State, UW's original opponent, 90-53, earlier in the season.
For a matchup that was put together on short notice, UW was able to find a quality program. George Mason is just 7-5 but it has road wins over Maryland and Georgia under its belt.
“I don’t see any easy ones coming in the Big Ten and this will be another one to get us ready,” head coach Greg Gard told reporters. “We learn from it, regardless of what the outcome is. They are going to challenge us in a lot of ways, and I think they do some good things defensively.”
Kim English's squad is led by forward Josh Oduro, who averages 17.4 points per game. That is tops among four Patriots who average double figures. Oduro has finished with 20 or more points in six contests this season and has scored at least eight points every outing. In a win over Georgia, the junior tallied 20 points, snagged 11 rebounds and blocked six shots.
The duo of D'Shawn Schwartz and DeVon Cooper is worth watching as well. Schwartz (14.6) and Cooper (13.2) are the second and third leading scorers, respectively, for George Mason, and both are not afraid to let it fly from beyond the arc. Cooper has shot at least five threes in all but one game and has converted at a clip of 39.0 percent. Schwartz is hoisting up nearly seven threes per contest and is hitting 37.3 percent of them.
For Wisconsin, the group is happy to have its full roster back. Most importantly, UW welcomes back star Johnny Davis after he was sidelined last week against Nicholls State due to an illness. Davis is averaging 20.9 points per contest during the season. Without him, UW lost to Providence earlier in the year and nearly dropped a recent home tilt against the Colonels.
“It was crowded at practice,” Gard said. “I had to take attendance because I couldn’t believe they were all here.”
During the Thursday night showdown, look for Gard to continue to fine tune his rotation in order to find what works. It will also be important to see what Jahcobi Neath can consistently bring. Neath showed flashes while filling in for Davis in the starting lineup. The Wake Forest transfer nailed open jumpers and created second opportunities en route to a solid seven-point, six-rebound and two-assist performance.
Thursday will be the first meeting between Wisconsin and George Mason. The Badgers are 11-8 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 conference.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Chucky Hepburn (Fr.) |
6-2, 211 |
7.0 |
2.2 |
1.9 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 200 |
15.2 |
4.2 |
1.7 |
|
W |
Jonathan Davis (So.) |
6-5, 194 |
20.9 |
6.1 |
2.3 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (Jr.) |
6-9, 221 |
8.4 |
5.0 |
1.5 |
|
F |
Steven Crowl (So.) |
7-0, 234 |
7.7 |
4.4 |
0.9 |
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| Pos. | George Mason | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Xavier Johnson (Jr.) |
6-1, 186 |
5.3 |
3.7 |
4.5 |
|
G |
DeVon Cooper (Gr.) |
6-4, 201 |
13.2 |
1.8 |
2.8 |
|
G |
Davonta Gaines (Jr.) |
6-7, 181 |
10.9 |
7.8 |
1.3 |
|
F |
D'Shawn Schwartz (Gr.) |
6-7, 232 |
14.6 |
5.0 |
1.8 |
|
F |
Josh Oduro (Jr.) |
6-9, 235 |
17.4 |
6.8 |
1.2 |
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