Massachusetts Lowell @ Wisconsin preview
Kohl Center
Wisconsin will try to maintain some rare momentum Saturday when it closes out nonconference play with a home date with UMass Lowell. The Badgers have won a season-best three straight since a Dec. 9 loss to Marquette, and will delve back into Big Ten play next Tuesday against Indiana.
Overall, it’s been a roller-coaster ride of a season for Wisconsin which started 2-0, then lost eight of its next 10 – including four defeats vs. ranked teams – before its current three-game win streak. Injuries, particularly to the backcourt, have played a major role as freshman Kobe King has been lost for the season with a knee injury and point guard D’Mitrik Trice is out indefinitely as he recovers from foot surgery. Meanwhile, fellow guard Brad Davison has been in and out, playing through an ailing shoulder, and taken together, it’s held back the development of a young team which entered the season with four new starters. “We haven’t become complete yet in terms of putting 40 solid minutes together,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after Wednesday’s 82-70 win over visiting Chicago State.
TV: 4 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
ABOUT UMASS LOWELL (6-6): The River Hawks, who only last season completed their Division I transition in the America East Conference, also will be playing their nonconference finale Saturday and enter the contest with five losses in their last six games. Senior guard Jahad Thomas leads the team with 19.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per outing and has scored at least 15 points in all nine games he’s played this season. Fellow guards Matt Harris (14.0 points), Ryan Jones (11.3) and Rinardo Perry (10.7) also are averaging double figures for UMass Lowell, which is averaging 79.5 points but is being outrebounded by an average of 1.7 per game.
ABOUT WISCONSIN (7-7): The Badgers' one returning starter is a great one in junior forward Ethan Happ, and the 2016-17 third-team All-American is the only major-conference player averaging at least 16 points (16.3), eight rebounds (8.5) and three assists (3.5). The 6-foot-10 Happ had 18 points, 12 rebounds and six assists against Chicago State to notch his 24th career double-double and fourth of the season. At 12.1 points, Davison is only other player averaging in double figures for Wisconsin while no one other than Happ is averaging more than 4.2 rebounds.
TIP-INS
1. Wisconsin is 6-3 at home this season while UMass Lowell has dropped all four of its road games.
2. The Badgers are shooting 46.1 percent from the field on the season but have topped 50 percent in each of their last three wins, shooting a combined 53.2 percent in those contests.
3. Wisconsin G Khalil Iverson matched his career high with 17 points Wednesday and is averaging 11.3 and 4.2 rebounds over his last six games.
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 78, UMass Lowell 67