What to expect out of No. 21 Ohio State vs. No. 22 Wisconsin

No. 22 Wisconsin continues its winning ways, but it will face a tough road test at Columbus this weekend in No. 21 Ohio State.

The Buckeyes (7-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) defeated No. 1 Duke in a 71-66 home victory to close out the month of November, and its only two losses have been to programs within KenPom.com's top 30 rankings. The Badgers (8-1, 1-0) stormed back to beat Indiana at home on Wednesday night inside the Kohl Center.

BadgerBlitz.com presents key stats, metrics and players to watch for Saturday's matchup (11 a.m. CT, BTN), along with key insight about the Buckeyes from Scarlet and Gray Report's Colin Gay.

*Record: 7-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten

*AP poll ranking: No. 21

*KenPom ranking: No. 20

*NCAA NET rankings: No. 25

*Offensive adjusted efficiency: 115.9 (No. 7 in nation)

*Defensive adjusted efficiency: 95.5 (No. 59 in nation)

*Offensive effective field goal percentage: 57.1 (No. 11 in nation)

*Junior forward E.J. Liddell: 19.8 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game; 3.1 blocks per game; shooting 54.1% from the field, 35.5% from three-point range; 30 turnovers in nine games played

*Redshirt senior forward Kyle Young: 10.6 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game; shooting 64.3% from the field, 52.9% (9-of-17) from three-point range, 84.6% from free-throw line

*Sophomore forward Zed Key: 10.3 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game; shooting 60.6% from the field

*Senior forward Justin Ahrens: 9.1 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game; shooting 42.9% from the field, 44.4% (24-of-54) from three-point range

*Graduate guard Jamari Wheeler: 6.0 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game, 4.2 assists per game; shooting 47.5% from the field, 39.1% from three-point range; 14 total steals in nine starts

It helps to have one of the best returning players in the Big Ten and possibly in the country in E.J. Liddell. The junior forward can do a bit of everything, from scoring down low and in the perimeter, to being the team's main rebound guy, to being an offensive facilitator. He has the ball in his hands a lot, and there's really no way Ohio State does anything otherwise. Along with that, it's a team that seems to play up and down to its opponents. When the Buckeyes are hitting from 3, they are close to unstoppable, whether it's senior forward Justin Ahrens or redshirt senior forward Kyle Young. From there, the offense opens up and spaces out a bit, giving room for sophomore forward Zed Key to work down low. It's been a challenging stretch for this Ohio State team: a mix of young players getting their feet wet in the college basketball world and veterans, whether they have been with Ohio State for a long time or not. It's a group that's still finding its chemistry, but has developed it through the highs of wins against Seton Hall and Duke and the lows in losses to Xavier and Florida.

It's his versatility. He has the size to stay in the paint and guard power forwards and centers — leading the team with over three blocks per game — but also has the quickness, speed and athleticism to guard the perimeter. That versatility also stems into the offensive game plan, whether it's through dribble-drives or from 3. Liddell is hard to stop because if you take one aspect of his game away, say his ability to score, he has the passing ability to get it to open opponents on a regular basis. He's really the rock of this team. Ohio State's only going to go as far as Liddell takes them.

I think Key has been a nice surprise for the Buckeyes. While he's not the most imposing forward Wisconsin's ever going to see, his physicality down low will allow him to compete with anybody in the country, showing itself in a major way against Duke, where he was the main go-to player when the Buckeyes needed a bucket. He's still improving defensively and with his rebounding skills, but it starts with the physicality, which he has loads of. Also, Young has been tremendous off the bench. Used to being a starter, Ohio State has really helped develop the redshirt senior into a versatile weapon, whether it's from 3 if he needs to be an offensive force, or in the paint, racking in rebounds and drives through the lane for easy scores. He's vital to this team's success.

As for where they have struggled, with Liddell holding the ball in his hands so much, he's also prone to make mistakes. In the last four games, he has recorded 20 turnovers. He's made up for them some with 10 blocks and three steals during those games, but it's something that once Ohio State solely gets in Big Ten play, that's going to hurt more and more. Also, size continues to be an issue. When Ohio State has been beaten this year, it's been when the Buckeyes allow way too many offensive rebounds and second-chance points, along with points off of turnovers. When the Buckeyes give away possessions and scores, the momentum falters, something Ohio State thrives with.

Stay physical in and around the paint area. Really, success starts from there both offensively and defensively. If the Buckeyes can get a paint presence going early, that opens up the perimeter shot with defenses worried about the paint. Aggressive defense and rebounding instead of allowing offensive boards and second-chance points keeps the Ohio State offense on schedule. All of this, along with Liddell keeping the ball in his hands and not turning it over, will be vital Saturday afternoon.

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