Wisconsin @ NC State preview

Wisconsin at NC State

Last Meeting ( Nov 27, 2018 ) NC State 75, Wisconsin 79

North Carolina State looks to bounce back from its first loss in non-conference play when it hosts Wisconsin as part of the Atlantic Coast Conference/Big Ten Challenge on Wednesday. The Wolfpack couldn't climb out of a 20-point hole in the 83-78 loss to No. 18 Memphis in the Barclays Center Classic on Thursday, and hope to get back on track by ending a three-game skid against Wisconsin, which includes a 79-75 setback on Nov. 27, 2018.

N.C. State has won 17 consecutive non-conference home games, including five this season by an average margin of 19.6 points, and searches for its first win in the conference challenge in over two years. The Badgers are left to lick their wounds following a pair of defeats in the Roman Legends Classic in Brooklyn N.Y. over the Thanksgiving holiday. Wisconsin committed a combined 29 turnovers in back-to-back losses to Richmond (62-52) and New Mexico (59-50), and hope to avoid three consecutive setbacks in non-conference play for the second time in the last three seasons by notching a Big Ten-best 11th win in the annual challenge. "We've got to continue to reduce the number of turnovers," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters. "We've got to continue to work on that and point that out on film, drill it in practice and get better at it."

TV: 9:15 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT WISCONSIN (4-3): Nate Reuvers scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and added five rebounds but committed five turnovers in the loss to New Mexico. D'Mitrik Trice added 11 points and seven boards after he was limited to five points in his previous outing, while Aleem Ford registered seven points, six boards and a pair of assists against the Aggies. Brevin Pritzl and Kobe King each finished with six points while Brad Davison, who is averaging 12 points per game, was limited to a season-low two points on 0-of-9 shooting, including six misses from 3-point range.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (5-2): Markell Johnson filled up the stat sheet in the loss to Memphis as the senior guard produced a game-high 22 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Jericole Hellems added a career-high 17 points and four boards while D.J. Funderburk scored 14 points in a reserve role, as the Wolfpack outscored the Tigers 39-28 in the second half. "It's a loss but we want to build off our second half," NC State coach Kevin Keatts told reporters. "The second half was way better than the first."

TIP-INS

1. N.C. State has scored 80 or more points in five of its first seven games.

2. Wisconsin has more turnovers (88) than assists (82) this season.

3. The Badgers are 9-of-53 from 3-point range over their last two games.

PREDICTION: North Carolina State 75, Wisconsin 68