Purdue @ Wisconsin preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 24, 2020 ) Wisconsin 51, Purdue 70

Wisconsin looks to win its third consecutive game when it hosts Purdue in a crucial Big Ten clash for both teams on Tuesday. The Badgers took care of business against Ohio State (70-57) on Feb. 9 before routing Nebraska (81-64) on Saturday to notch their first road victory since Jan. 11, and they hope to take another step towards securing an NCAA Tournament by extending their home winning streak to five games.

“Everything that we’ve wanted to play for is all still in front of us,” Wisconsin guard Brad Davison told reporters. “We’re in a good spot and we’ve got a lot more opportunities coming up.” Purdue is heading in the wrong direction following a 68-52 setback to Ohio State on Saturday. The Boilermakers have dropped back-to-back games to fall below .500 in conference play, and they strive to keep their fading NCAA Tournament hopes alive by completing the season sweep of the Badgers following a 70-51 win on Jan. 24. “We’ve got a schedule where every game is against a team that’s projected to be in the NCAA Tournament,” Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters. “We have a lot of opportunities and that’s what you want.”

TIME: 7 p.m. ET. TV: ESPN

ABOUT PURDUE (14-12, 7-8 Big Ten): Evan Boudreaux scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field while Jahaad Proctor added 15 points and a pair of the steals in the loss to Ohio State. Eric Hunter Jr. finished with eight points and two steals while Trevion Williams, who is averaging 11 points per game this season, pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, but was held to four points as the Boilermakers finished 35.2 percent from the floor. “It’s tough because some times it comes down to hitting and missing shots,” Painter told reporters. “We got to score the ball better and we just need to keep working hard.”

ABOUT WISCONSIN (15-10, 8-6): Davison matched a program record with eight 3-pointers en route to a season-high 30 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists to help the Badgers end a four-game road losing skid. D’Mitrik Trice went 5-of-6 from 3-point range to finish with 15 points and five assists as Wisconsin knocked down 15 3-pointers in the win against Nebraska. Micah Potter added 15 points and seven rebounds while Nate Reuvers registered 31 points and a pair of blocked shots against the Cornhuskers.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Purdue has won six of the last seven meetings with Wisconsin.

2. The Badgers are 3-1 since their second-leading scorer Kobe King left the team in late January.

3. The Boilermakers have dropped seven of their 10 road games this season.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 74, Purdue 69