Preview: No. 8 Wisconsin takes six-game winning streak into Evanston
No. 8 Wisconsin (14-2, 5-1) vs. Northwestern (9-6, 2-4)
Game: Tuesday, Jan. 18 inside the Welsh-Ryan Arena
Time: 8:00 P.M. CT
Watch: Big Ten Network (Dave Revsine and Stephen Bardo)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 73, Northwestern 64
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
No. 8 Wisconsin is looking for its seventh-straight win of the season against Northwestern on Tuesday evening in Evanston. UW currently sits at 14-2, its best start under head coach Greg Gard and its best opening since the 2014-15 season.
Wisconsin has dominated the matchup between the two schools recently. The Badgers have won six straight against the Wildcats, which includes an average margin of victory of 16 points over the last three victories. UW is also winners of eight of its last nine games played in Evanston.
This year's Northwestern group is a scrappy bunch. Despite a 9-6 record and 2-4 mark in the conference, Chris Collin's team has not lost a game by more than eight points and is coming off a road victory over then-No. 10 Michigan State.
The win over the Spartans came without leading scorer (17.1) and rebounder (7.7) Pete Nance, who injured his ankle in a loss to Maryland. There has not been an update on his status as of Tuesday morning.
If Nance is unable to go, Northwestern's path to a win likely includes another strong performance from big man Ryan Young. Collins went with the junior down the stretch against the Spartans, and Young produced with 18 points and eight rebounds.
In the backcourt, Northwestern has a familiar pair of guards in upperclassmen Boo Buie and Chase Audige. The duo had success against Wisconsin last season, with Buie notching 19 points in Evanston and Audige tallying 16 in Madison. Buie runs the offense for the Wildcats and currently leads the Big Ten with 5.7 assists per game.
To keep its winning ways, one of Wisconsin's keys on Tuesday's game will be keeping Northwestern off the glass. Over the past two games, the Wildcats have hauled in 36 offensive rebounds, including 10 in the second half against Michigan State. Northwestern also turned the Spartans over 17 times on Saturday.
During Wisconsin's winning streak, Brad Davison and Tyler Wahl have proven they can add enough offensive support for Johnny Davis. The next step: Can UW become a consistent threat from beyond the arc? In the win over Ohio State, the Badgers finished 10-23 (43.5 percent) from three for their best percentage of the year (and just the third time they tallied 10 or more 3s in a game). Six players connected from distance, and the performance could be a sign of an added element for a team already off to a strong start.
Tuesday night will be 187th meeting between the two schools with Wisconsin leading the all-time series, 121-65. Since losing his first two meetings against Northwestern, Gard is 8-2 against the Wildcats.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Chucky Hepburn (Fr.) |
6-2, 211 |
6.8 |
2.1 |
2.0 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 200 |
15.2 |
4.1 |
1.9 |
|
W |
Jonathan Davis (So.) |
6-5, 194 |
21.7 |
7.5 |
2.6 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (Jr.) |
6-9, 221 |
10.8 |
5.4 |
1.7 |
|
F |
Steven Crowl (So.) |
7-0, 234 |
8.8 |
4.9 |
1.2 |
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| Pos. | Northwestern | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Boo Buie (Jr.) |
6-2, 180 |
14.6 |
2.7 |
5.7 |
|
G |
Ty Berry (So.) |
6-3, 185 |
8.5 |
2.5 |
1.3 |
|
G |
Chase Audige (Jr.) |
6-4, 200 |
11.8 |
5.1 |
1.9 |
|
F |
Robbie Beran (Jr.) |
6-9, 215 |
6.7 |
4.5 |
1.0 |
|
C |
Ryan Young (Jr.) |
6-10, 240 |
10.0 |
4.6 |
0.9 |
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