Preview: Wisconsin opens up tournament play Thursday against Penn State
Wisconsin (16-11, 10-10) vs. Penn State (11-13, 8-12)
Game: Thursday, March 11 inside Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Time: Approximately 8:00 PM
Watch: Big Ten Network (Brandon Gaudin and Shon Morris)
Listen: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas on the call); stream online on iHeartRadio
Line: Wisconsin -5.5
Prediction: Wisconsin 71, Penn State 58
Follow Online: The Badgers' Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
PRE-GAME NOTES
Following an underwhelming regular season, Wisconsin gets its first taste of post-season basketball Thursday evening. The Badgers found out their opponent late Wednesday night after Penn State rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to top Nebraska.
Penn State and Wisconsin split its regular season matchups with each team notching a win at home. After dropping the first meeting, 81-71, away from Madison, the Badgers immediately returned the favor with a 72-56 win inside the Kohl Center. Most notably, UW did a good job of limiting Penn State in transition. After giving up 21 fast-break points in the first meeting, Wisconsin allowed none in the rematch.
Wednesday night, Penn State had an impressive showing in the second half against Nebraska. The rally was highlighted by a 15-2 run to open the second half.
D'Mitrik Trice, Brad Davison and Tyler Wahl will be tested against Penn State's backcourt. Jamari Wheeler led the way against the Cornhuskers with 19 points, and Myreon Jones and Izaiah Brockington added 14 apiece. Jones totaled 20 points and Brockington 18 in their win over UW.
"We also believe we can beat any team in this conference," Wheeler said following their win over Nebraska to advance in the Big Ten tournament. "Just have to play Penn State basketball for 40 minutes and we'll like the results."
The Nittany Lions like to get out and run, and it will be important for Wisconsin to dictate tempo. If it can slow Penn State down and carry over its offensive success from the second half against Iowa, UW will get another crack at the Hawkeyes in the second round.
The Badgers are hoping for an extended stay in Indiana for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
"I like where everybody's heads at. I think we're trending in the right direction at the right time, and I think the guys are really excited to continue to progress forward and we know that it's win-or-go-home so we gotta bring our 'A' game every game for 40 minutes," Trice told reporters on a Zoom call Monday afternoon. "It's definitely going to be different. We're going to have to pack a lot because, hopefully, we're going to be there a long time."
Thursday night will be the 52nd meeting between the two schools with Wisconsin leading series, 40-11. UW has won 14 of the last 15 meetings and Greg Gard is 7-1 against the Nittany Lions.
| Pos. | Wisconsin | HT/WT | Pts. | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
D'Mitrik Trice (R-Sr.) |
6-0, 184 |
13.7 |
3.4 |
3.9 |
|
G |
Brad Davison (Sr.) |
6-4, 202 |
9.2 |
3.5 |
2.2 |
|
F |
Tyler Wahl (So.) |
6-9, 220 |
5.4 |
4.4 |
1.4 |
|
F |
Aleem Ford (R-Sr.) |
6-8, 217 |
8.5 |
4.1 |
1.2 |
|
F |
Nate Reuvers (Sr.) |
6-11, 235 |
8.5 |
3.3 |
0.6 |
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| Pos. | Penn State | HT/WT | Pts | Reb. | Ast. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
G |
Jamari Wheeler (Sr.) |
6-1, 170 |
6.1 |
4.3 |
3.6 |
|
G |
Myreon Jones (Jr.) |
6-3, 180 |
15.5 |
2.8 |
1.9 |
|
G |
Izaiah Brockington (Jr.) |
6-4, 200 |
12.7 |
4.7 |
1.7 |
|
G |
Myles Dread (Jr.) |
6-3, 220 |
7.7 |
2.0 |
1.1 |
|
F |
John Harrar (Sr.) |
6-9, 240 |
9.0 |
0.5 |
1.2 |
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