Preview: Wisconsin looks to stay perfect in the Big Ten against Maryland
No. 9 Wisconsin (8-1, 2-0) vs. Maryland (5-3, 0-2)
Game: Monday, Dec. 28 inside the Kohl Center; Madison, Wis.
Time: 6:00 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
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
Following a brief road trip, No. 9 Wisconsin returns to the Kohl Center on Monday to take on Maryland. The Badgers are looking for their sixth straight win and third consecutive victory over the Terrapins. Doing so would put UW alongside Northwestern as the lone 3-0 teams in conference play.
Maryland was one of four teams to win a share of the Big Ten title a season ago but has looked pedestrian to open the season following the losses of Anthony Cowan and Jalen Smith to graduation and the NBA, respectively. Cowan and Smith were the team's leading scorers and the pair led Maryland in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
After opening the season 4-0, the Terrapins have since gone 1-3 with a pair of losses in Big Ten play. In their three defeats to high-major opponents, only their loss to Purdue was by single digits.
Eric Ayala and Aaron Wiggins form an experienced backcourt with 146 games between the pair. Ayala, the team's leading scorer, is coming off a career-high 23-point performance against La Salle. In the front court, sophomore Donta Scott has taken full advantage of a spot in the starting five. Scott has finished in double figures in seven of eight games and is shooting 64 percent from the field and an even more remarkable 54 percent from three-point range.
Wisconsin is coming off an impressive win over Michigan State. D'Mitrik Trice paced the team with 29 points but Aleem Ford got things started with the team's first seven and Nate Reuvers made timely plays to seal the win in East Lansing.
After finishing in double figures in his first four games, Reuvers has reached that mark just once in his last five. The senior big man will have the chance to get things going against a smaller Maryland front court.
Whether or not Reuvers can get back on track, Wisconsin's shooting and depth has shined bright during these first nine contests. Five players are averaging at least nine points per game and six are shooting over 40 percent from three.
UW leads the all time series 8-6 and is 5-4 since Maryland joined the Big Ten in the 2014-2015 season.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
D'Mitrik Trice (R-Sr.) |
6-0, 184 |
13.0 |
3.1 |
3.2 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 202 |
11.2 |
2.9 |
2.7 |
|
F |
Aleem Ford (R-Sr.) |
6-8, 217 |
9.6 |
4.0 |
1.2 |
|
F |
Micah Potter (R-Sr.) |
6-10, 248 |
13.1 |
7.1 |
1.9 |
|
F |
Nate Reuvers (Sr.) |
6-11, 235 |
10.6 |
3.7 |
0.9 |
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| Pos. | Maryland | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Eric Ayala (Jr.) |
6-5, 200 |
14.6 |
3.3 |
2.8 |
|
G |
Aaron Wiggins (Jr.) |
6-6, 200 |
10.0 |
4.5 |
3.1 |
|
G |
Hakim Hart (So.) |
6-6, 205 |
10.6 |
2.9 |
1.1 |
|
F |
Donta Scott (So.) |
6-7, 230 |
12.7 |
7.3 |
1.5 |
|
F |
Jairus Hamilton (Jr.) |
6-8, 235 |
8.3 |
3.4 |
0.9 |
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