Preview: Wisconsin looks to get even with Rutgers
Wisconsin (16-10, 9-6) vs. Rutgers (18-9, 9-7)
Game: Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020 at the Kohl Center
Time: Noon CT
Watch: BTN (Chris Vosters and Shon Morris)
Listen: Badger Sports Network (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas)
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz, @alow_33
Pre-Game Notes
Wisconsin looks to defend home court Sunday afternoon against Rutgers. The Badgers are playing arguably their best basketball of the season as winners of their last three overall and previous five at home.
Not only has the Kohl Center been a fortress for UW en route to a 12-1 home record, but against Rutgers, the Badgers are a perfect 4-0 at home. Wisconsin's three-game winning streak has seen UW win a pair of games by double digits - Ohio State and Nebraska, respectively - before being pushed to the brink by Purdue on Tuesday.
Despite the Boilermakers having multiple looks beyond the arc that would have given them the lead within the final minute, Wisconsin escaped with a 69-65 win. Clutch free throw shooting was the story on the Badgers' side, as they went 19-of-20 from the charity stripe on the night.
Aleem Ford is coming off a career-high 19 points and has been fantastic in February. The redshirt junior has averaged 11.2 points and shot 50 percent from deep through five games this month.
Rutgers has been a cinderella story in Big Ten play. Head coach Steve Pikiell has led the Scarlet Knights to a resurgent 9-7 record in conference play and has them on the brink of an at-large NCAA Tournament appearance. A win against Wisconsin would give Rutgers its most conference wins since 1990-91.
Junior guard Geo Baker has been one of their most electrifying sources of offense, averaging 16.5 points over his last four contests. The combo guard is just 13 points shy of 1,000 for his career entering Sunday.
Wisconsin, which did not have junior forward Micah Potter when these two teams played earlier this season, is 7-3 all time against Rutgers.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
D'Mitrik Trice (Jr.) |
6-0, 184 |
9.7 |
4.2 |
4.0 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Jr.) |
6-4, 206 |
9.4 |
4.2 |
1.8 |
|
F |
Aleem Ford (R-Jr.) |
6-8, 217 |
8.3 |
4.1 |
1.2 |
|
F |
Micah Potter (R-Jr.) |
6-10, 248 |
8.9 |
5.8 |
0.4 |
|
F |
Nate Reuvers (Jr.) |
6-11, 235 |
13.5 |
4.8 |
0.6 |
Manage privacy settings
| Pos. | Rutgers | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Ron Harper Jr. (So.) |
6-6, 245 |
11.9 |
5.6 |
1.1 |
|
G |
Geo Baker (Jr.) |
6-4, 185 |
10.5 |
2.8 |
3.5 |
|
G |
Montez Mathis (So.) |
6-4, 205 |
7.0 |
3.5 |
1.3 |
|
F |
Akwasi Yeoboah (Sr.) |
6-6, 230 |
10.1 |
4.8 |
0.9 |
|
F |
Shaq Carter (Sr.) |
6-9, 250 |
3.5 |
2.4 |
0.0 |
Manage privacy settings