Preview: No. 23 Wisconsin hosts Iowa in battle of dynamic scorers
No. 23 Wisconsin (11-2, 2-1) vs. Iowa (11-3, 1-2)
Game: Thursday, Jan. 6 inside the Kohl Center
Time: 8:00 P.M. CT
Watch: FS1 (Kevin Kugler 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 68, Iowa 64
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
Year in and year out, the Big Ten is in the conversation for the toughest conference in college basketball, and this season is no different. After winning at Mackey Arena for the first time over Purdue since 2014, Wisconsin welcomes Iowa to the Kohl Center on Thursday, a team it lost to three times last season.
All eyes will be on Johnny Davis, who has firmly put himself in the discussion for national player of the year, and Keegan Murray, who comes in as the top scorer in college basketball. Murray (24.5) and Davis (22.3) rank first and second in the country, respectively, in scoring.
"That’s the Big Ten for you," senior guard Brad Davison said Wednesday afternoon. "Everyone’s got great players and this is two of the best tomorrow."
"I think he’s just a killer," Davison added about Davis. "I think he’s just a great player. When you’re a great player, you don’t necessarily need to rise to the occasion. Other people try to rise to you. I think with him, time after time, game after game, he shows up. I don’t think he needs an occasion, he’ll always be there."
Davis, who was named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 earlier this week, has scored at least 15 points in every game he's played this season. The sophomore has also eclipsed 20 or more in eight of the last nine contests.
"He plays with confidence and at his pace," Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said when asked about Davis. "He can score in a variety of ways. He is adept at finding teammates when necessary. You think when you see he got 37, but if you overplay and double, he will find other people. Like with Keegan, he is playing with a lot of confidence."
Much like Davis, Murray has taken a significant leap this season. As a freshman on a talented squad, Murray averaged just 7.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. With a full season behind him, Murray, who also ranks 27th country in field goal percentage (.592), has blossomed into the focal point of Iowa's offense.
"His evolution has been really astounding to watch on film. You knew he was going to be good, you saw glimpses of it last year," Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said. "He can do so many things. He shoots the three, he drives it, he hits the glass, he runs it. You have two of the nation’s top leading scorers in here tomorrow night, so hopefully we play some defense."
The primary defensive assignment for Murray will likely fall on the shoulders of Davis, who was able to limit Jaden Ivey this past Monday. But as Davison mentioned, it will be a group effort tonight from Wisconsin.
"It’s going to take a team effort," he said. "His ability to make individual plays, whether it’s at the rim, shooting threes, mid-range game. He’s very dynamic. Super tough guy to guard, so it’s going to take all of us and we’ll try to throw a few different things at him."
Davison likely won't be asked to come over and shade too often. He'll find himself guarding sixth-year senior Jordan Bohannon, who is currently shooting 40 percent from three this year.
Fran McCaffery's group lost center Luka Garza and forward Joe Wieskamp to the pros, but they still feature a fast-paced offense in which they like to get out and run.
"They have a lot of different looks where it’s a little more challenging to prepare," Davison said. "Last year it was challenging to prepare but you knew what to expect with Luka Garza and Wieskamp. This year it’s a new kind of challenge, so a different dynamic and different looks you have to deal with."
Thursday night will be the 171st meeting between the two programs, with the all-time series deadlocked at 85-85. Wisconsin holds a 53-50 edge at home against the Hawkeyes.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Chucky Hepburn (Fr.) |
6-2, 211 |
7.3 |
2.1 |
2.2 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 200 |
14.5 |
4.1 |
1.9 |
|
W |
Jonathan Davis (So.) |
6-5, 194 |
22.3 |
7.3 |
2.5 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (Jr.) |
6-9, 221 |
8.9 |
5.0 |
1.3 |
|
F |
Steven Crowl (So.) |
7-0, 234 |
8.5 |
4.6 |
1.0 |
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| Pos. | Iowa | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Jordan Bohannon (Sr.) |
6-1, 175 |
10.7 |
1.0 |
1.4 |
|
G |
Joe Toussaint (Jr.) |
6-0, 190 |
5.2 |
2.1 |
3.9 |
|
F |
Patrick McCaffery (So.) |
6-9, 200 |
11.3 |
3.3 |
1.8 |
|
F |
Keegan Murray (So.) |
6-8, 215 |
24.5 |
8.2 |
1.4 |
|
F |
Filip Rebraca (Sr.) |
6-9, 222 |
6.1 |
6.2 |
0.6 |
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