Wisconsin @ Illinois preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 8, 2018 ) Wisconsin 78, Illinois 69

Wisconsin looks to build off its best win of the season when it visits Illinois on Wednesday In Big Ten play. The Badgers lost four of their previous five games before beating sixth-ranked Michigan 64-54 on Saturday to hand the Wolverines their first loss of the campaign while adding a marquee Top 10 win to their resume, and they hope to ride the momentum to their 14th consecutive victory over the Fighting Illini.

"This group's mentality through the struggles that we've had has always been a fighter's mentality," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters. "I'm glad to see them get rewarded for persevering and sticking with it when things weren't going so well." Illinois failed to follow up its breakthrough win against Minnesota when it suffered a 95-71 setback against No. 21 Iowa on Sunday. The Illini couldn't match the hot-shooting Hawkeyes, who finished 68 percent from the field, and Brad Underwood's squad hopes to bounce back in a big way by knocking off Wisconsin for the first time since Jan. 2, 2011. "This league is a league that's going to make you pay if mentally you're not there," Underwood told reporters. "If you don't show up mentally then you're going to lose and that's top to bottom."

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

ABOUT WISCONSIN (12-6, 4-3 Big Ten): Ethan Happ led the way with 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the win against Michigan to record his 12th double-double of the season and needs three points to become the sixth player in Big Ten history to reach 1,900 points and 1,000 rebounds for his career. Happ, who leads the Big Ten and is second nationally in double-doubles, has finished with at least 10 points in 42 consecutive games. Aleem Ford added nine points and Brad Davison tallied eight as the Badgers forced the Wolverines into 16 turnovers en route to their seventh win over a Top 10 team under Gard.

ABOUT ILLINOIS (5-13, 1-6): Ayo Dosunmu scored 15 points and dished out six assists against Iowa to become the first Illini freshman to finish in double figures in sixth straight games since Cory Bradford did it in 1999. Trent Frazier added 12 points but went 4-of-18 from the field, including 3-of-11 from 3-point range, against the Hawkeyes. Giorgi Bezhanishvili and Aaron Jordan each added 11 points while Kipper Nichols, who averaged 10 points per contest as a sophomore last season, has been held scoreless in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

TIP-INS

1. Wisconsin has beaten Illinois by an average margin of 14 points during their 13-game winning streak.

2. Happ has registered 42 double-doubles, which is the second-most in program history.

3. The Fighting Illini have dropped 20 of their 25 Big Ten games under Underwood.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 75, Illinois 70