Preview: Wisconsin looks to finish strong in Bahamas with win over USC

Wisconsin (4-1) vs. USC (4-2)

Game: Friday, Nov. 25 inside Imperial Arena (Nassau, Bahamas)

Time: 12:00 P.M CT

Watch: ESPN2

Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio

Prediction: Wisconsin 62, USC 53

Follow Online: The Badgers' Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

Wisconsin came mere tenths of a second away from a massive upset of the No. 3 team in the country in the second round of the Battle 4 Atlantis. The Badgers rallied from being down by as much as 15 in the second half to having a three-point lead with one possession left. But Kevin McCullar Jr's three sent the game to overtime, and Bobby Pettiford Jr. won it for the Jayhawks with a last-second put-back lay.

After another slow offensive half, managing just 20 points, Wisconsin came out and dropped 43 in the second half, giving them a plus-13 differential in that period. Tyler Wahl started going to work in the paint, and he would finish with 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Besides him and Max Klesmit, who shot 4-of-6 for 13 points, the Badgers' starters didn't have effective days offensively.

Their leading scorer was once again freshman sensation Connor Essegian. He had a career high with 17, and hit three threes in the Badgers' upset bid. He's rapidly improving on the defensive end, coming away with a steal he turned into a transition opportunity for Wisconsin. Greg Guard played Essegian 31 minutes off the bench, largely because his scoring ability was needed to get the Badgers back in the game. If Jordan Davis continues to be an offensive non-factor, Essegian could find himself in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

After their upset attempt fell just short, Wisconsin looks to the USC Trojans in their third and final game on Paradise Island. USC beat BYU in the first round of the tournament but fell to No. 22 Tennessee in round two. The Trojans have had a shaky start to their season, losing their opener to Florida Golf Coast in a shocker. They narrowly beat Vermont by two points, and let quad four Mount Saint Marys put up 76 on them.

USC is led by Drew Peterson. He was a problem in his senior season, but he's really added to his game in his fifth year. Peterson is now a playmaker as well as a scorer, averaging 7.6 assists to go along with his 15.8 points. With a forward's body but a guard's skills, Peterson is the Trojans main weapon.

The Trojans defense is up and down; they've had trouble giving up more points than they should at times, but have still been pretty stingy as far as defensive two-point percentage (40.9%).

USC doesn't get a lot of production from their bench, and Wisconsin did a great job limiting the Jayhawks bench's production on Thanksgiving. The Badgers, meanwhile, have been reliant on their bench for scoring, particularly Essegian. Just played their hearts out against one of the best teams in the nation, and will now look to finish their stint in the Bahamas strong.

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