Illinois @ Wisconsin preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 18, 2019 ) Illinois 58, Wisconsin 64

Wisconsin looks to build on its best win of the season when it hosts Illinois on Wednesday. The Badgers knocked off No. 12 Ohio State 61-57 in Columbus on Friday to add a signature win to their resume that could come handy in March while extending their winning streak to four games overall, and they hope to continue their mastery of the Fighting Illini by securing their 16th consecutive victory in the rivalry.

"We've had to grow and experience some growing pains as we've come through November and December," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters. "They've had to figure out how to mature and grow but they've responded." Illinois bounced back from a discouraging 20-point loss to eighth-ranked Michigan State by shutting down Purdue 63-37 on Friday. The Fighting Illini had dropped two of their previous three games but they held Purdue to 25 percent shooting, which was the Boilermakers' lowest shooting percentage in program history while allowing their fewest points since limiting Northwestern to 37 in 2008, and they hope to ride the momentum to their first win over the Badgers in over nine years. "We're really young on paper and we haven't done it at a consistent level," Illinois coach Brad Underwood told reporters. "But were starting to find some consistency on the offensive end."

TIME: 9 p.m. ET. TV: Big Ten Network

ABOUT ILLINOIS (10-5, 2-2 Big Ten): Alan Griffin provided a big spark off the bench as he scored 16 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to record his first career double-double in the win against Purdue. Trent Frazier added 12 points while Kofi Cockburn also tallied 12 against the Boilermakers after the talented freshman was held to a season-low five points on 2-of-10 shooting in the loss to Michigan State. Ayo Dosunmu finished with six points and seven rebounds as the Fighting Illini snapped a four-game losing streak to Purdue while holding the Boilermakers to fewer than 40 points in the rivalry for the first time since 1942.

ABOUT WISCONSIN (9-5, 2-1): Nate Reuvers went 10-of-12 from the free throw line en route to a team-high 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win against Ohio State to finish in double figures for the 12th time in 14 games this season. Kobe King added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor and Brevin Pritzl tallied nine points to help the Badgers pull off the upset despite finishing 37.5 percent from the field. "I think we've grown a lot especially as a team," King told reporters. "I think early our struggles on the road were kind of just us finding out who we were as a team."

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Wisconsin has won all seven home games by double figures this season.

2. Griffin is averaging 14.8 points in a reserve role over the last five games.

3. The Badgers lead the Big Ten in free throw percentage (77.7).

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 76, Illinois 65