Game Day Essentials: Game #17 vs Wisconsin

Wisconsin Info

Head Coach: Bo Ryan

Location: Madison, WI

Conference: B1G 10

Nickname: Badgers

Last time out: Lost to Rutgers

Typical Rotation Depth: 7-8 players

Opening Line: Wisconsin by -17.5

Fun Fact : Rutgers had never beaten a top 5 opponent until it beat Wisconsin this week

Fun Fact : Every starter for the Badgers have attempted over 30 3pters this year.

Player to watch: Frank Kaminsky

The 7'0" Senior is a post player possessing guard skills and can shoot from anywhere on the court. The pre-season All-American anchors the Badger offense and defense, leading the team in rebounds and points. Kaminsky missed the Rutgers game after taking an elbow to the head vs Purdue.

The Skinny

Wisconsin dropped a shocker on the road last Sunday with no Kaminsky and senior PG Traevon Jackson lost in the second half with a fractured foot. While this could be the start of a mid-season funk similar to the one the Badgers had last year about this time, it's more likely that Wisconsin comes out firing at home.

Wisconsin rolls with 2-3 Forward/Center types so we should see more than 11 minutes of Leslee/Moses/Fuller in this game trying to keep the Badger inside game at bay. They excel at not turning the ball over, not fouling, and keeping the opposition off the offensive glass. Wisconsin will minimize your chances on offense so all you'll have to do is outshoot them...which is what Nebraska did last year. The Huskers hit 20 of 39 inside the arc and 6-11 from downtown including Shavon shooting 10-17 from 2. Can the Huskers duplicate that sort of success on the road? Their overall eFG% is up from last year, BTW.

We have an angry Wisconsin team vs a poor shooting Husker team that landed around 3:30 am in Madison due to plane trouble. It seems like having the focus and intensity necessary to pull off this upset would be missing. Maybe the Huskers shoot better with sleep deprivation? We can hope.

Prediction: Wisconsin 70 - Nebraska 51