Western Kentucky @ Wisconsin preview

Wisconsin has had to deal with a very difficult schedule to open the season, and now it faces injury problems as dangerous Western Kentucky pays a visit on Wednesday night. The Badgers have managed just two victories in their last nine games after winning a pair to start the season and will be without two key players in the rotation for the near future.

Freshman guard Kobe King (knee) is lost for the season and third-leading scorer D’Mitrik Trice (foot) will be out at least a month after surgery as the bench gets thinner for Wisconsin, which is allowing 45.5 percent shooting from the field. “We’re not going to lose faith,” Badgers freshman guard Brad Davison told reporters after scoring a season-high 20 in the 82-63 loss to Marquette on Saturday. “We’re going to stick together. It’s a long season. We have had bumps, but we’re just going to think, ‘Next game, next practice,’ and our goal is just to keep improving and getting better every day.” Junior forward Ethan Happ leads Wisconsin in scoring (16.3), rebounds (8.6) and assists (3.1), while Davison (10.9) is the only other double-figure scorer and coach Greg Gard said everyone will just have “to row a little harder.” Western Kentucky saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with an 89-84 loss at Ohio on Sunday, but owns a big win over Purdue.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT WESTERN KENTUCKY (6-3): Coach Rick Stansbury told reporters the Hilltoppers did not have the edge they needed and were not mentally sharp in the loss to Ohio, which held on after leading by 12 at halftime. Freshman guard Taveion Hollingsworth led five players in double figures with 19 points on Sunday and averages 12.6 - second only to senior backcourt mate Darius Thompson (13.8, team-high 4.3 assists). Junior guard Lamonte Bearden (11.9 points) scored just seven on 2-of-7 shooting in 12 minutes as he fouled out against Ohio.

ABOUT WISCONSIN (4-7): Happ is averaging 20 points over the last two games on 19-of-34 shooting and Davison has drained 21-of-48 from 3-point range in his first collegiate season. The loss of Trice and King takes 14.6 points per game out of the lineup while the next highest scorers include junior guard Khalil Iverson (7.4, 53.2 percent from the field) and sophomore guard Brevin Pritzl (6.7), who had 10 points against Marquette. Freshman forward Nate Reuvers, who did not play the first five games, is averaging seven points over the past four.

TIP-INS

1. Happ boasts 23 career double-doubles and needs one to tie Rashard Griffith for sixth in school history.

2. Western Kentucky senior F Justin Johnson leads the team in rebounding (9.6) and notched his 28th career double-double Sunday.

3. The Badgers won the only meeting with Western Kentucky, earning a 73-62 victory at the 1989 San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 74, Western Kentucky 70