Northwestern @ Wisconsin preview
Kohl Center
Last Meeting ( Feb 22, 2018 ) Wisconsin 70, Northwestern 64
Wisconsin looks for its first three-game winning streak in the Big Ten in nearly a year when it hosts Northwestern on Saturday. The Badgers handed sixth-ranked Michigan its only loss of the season on Jan. 19 before beating Illinois 72-60 on Wednesday to move back into the top half of the conference standings, and Wisconsin hopes to continue its charge towards an NCAA Tournament berth by holding its fourth straight opponent to fewer than 65 points.
"Everyone knows winning on the road isn't easy in this conference so I guess that's why they call it winning ugly," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters. "They've steadied the ship and kept things going in the right direction." Northwestern has won back-to-back games after a 73-66 win against Indiana on Tuesday, which handed Chris Collins his 100th win as coach of the Wildcats. Northwestern has dropped three of its four conference road games this season, with their last two defeats away from Evanston coming by an average margin of 23 points, and hopes to climb back towards a .500 record in Big Ten play by taking down the Badgers in Madison for the third time in as many seasons. "We're trying to fight to get back into the race," Collins told reporters. "Everybody talks about the teams that are in the mix to do something and we want to be a part of it."
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (12-7, 3-5 Big Ten): Aaron Falzon drilled six 3-pointers en route to a career-high 21 points off the bench in the win against Indiana to finish in double figures for the first time this season. Dererk Pardon added 17 points and six rebounds against the Hoosiers to become the 37th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points while Vic Law produced 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Anthony Gaines contributed 10 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Pete Nance missed out due to illness and will be a game-time decision for Saturday's clash.
ABOUT WISCONSIN (13-6, 5-3): Nate Reuvers continued his stellar form in January as he scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win against Illinois to notch his first collegiate double-double. D'Mitrik Trice had 16 points while Khalil Iverson, who has seen Kobe King take most of his playing time in the last two games, tallied a season-high 12 points and seven rebounds after being held scoreless in his previous two outings. Ethan Happ, who leads the team in points (19.2), rebounds (10.3) and assists (4.8) per game, had a rare off night as he was held to nine points and committed six of Wisconsin's 17 turnovers.
TIP-INS
1. Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in 3-point shooting percentage (39.5).
2. Northwestern tops the conference in 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.7).
3. The Badgers are one of seven teams nationally with at least five quadrant one wins.
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 74, Northwestern 66