No. 11 Wisconsin (13-3, 5-0 Massive Ten) at Penn State (8-9, 2-4)
Recreation: Tuesday, Jan. 16 within the Bryce Jordan Heart in College Park, PA
Time: 8:00 P.M. CT
Watch: BTN
Hear: 1310 WIBA AM and 101.5 FM (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch on the decision); stream on-line on iHeartRadio
Prediction: Wisconsin 78, Penn State 67
Observe On-line: The Badgers’ Den
Twitter: @Badger_Blitz
Betting line: Wisconsin -5.5 (in line with ESPN BET)
Wisconsin will face a Penn State staff that has misplaced three of its final 4 video games, with the only real win coming in opposition to 7-10 Michigan.
They haven’t recovered for the reason that departure of earlier head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who left for Notre Dame after main the Nittany Lions to a 24-13 document final season.
Shrewsberry was changed by Mike Rhoades, the previous coach of Rice and VCU, who now has to take care of a very new roster. They misplaced 10 gamers from final season, together with all of their prime 5 scorers.
Of their place, sophomore guard Kanye Clary has emerged because the Nittany Lions’ lead possibility. He’s had one of the crucial shocking ascensions of any participant within the Massive Ten, going from 3.7 factors per sport final season to 18.6 this season, fourth-highest within the convention.
The 5-foot-11 guard is, nonetheless, coming off of a tough efficiency in opposition to Purdue. He scored 16 factors on simply 37.5% capturing, resulting in a 17-point loss.
Alongside Clary within the backcourt is Ace Baldwin Jr., a switch pupil who adopted Rhoades from VCU.
Baldwin is second on the staff in factors per sport, averaging 12.8, however has struggled with consistency as of late. He had his finest efficiency of the season three video games in the past when he scored 25 factors in opposition to Michigan. However except that efficiency, he’s averaging 6.8 factors on 21.1% capturing over the opposite final 5 video games.
One other key switch has been Qudus Wahab, a fifth-year senior who has performed at each Georgetown and Maryland. The 6-foot-11 ahead from Nigeria is sixth within the Massive Ten in rebounds per sport at 8.3, and likewise averages 9.5 factors, all in 25.4 minutes per sport, and can create essentially the most resistance for Wisconsin’s frontcourt of another participant.
On the opposite aspect, the Badgers will enter on the prime of the Massive Ten, driving a six-game profitable streak that has put them at No. 11 within the AP Ballot.
A supply of current momentum for the Badgers has been guard Max Klesmit, who’s coming off of a season-high 24 factors within the win over Northwestern. He averaged 6.9 factors per sport by the primary 12 video games of the season, however is as much as 15 over the previous 4 video games.
Klesmit’s enchancment has come at a handy time for the Badgers, who’ve begun to wrestle with accidents.
Steven Crowl suffered a left knee damage previous to the Ohio State sport, and it’s been fairly apparent. Over these previous two video games, he’s scored a mixed 11 factors on 4-14 capturing.
It doesn’t assist that Wisconsin’s different beginning huge man, Tyler Wahl, has cooled down from his scorching streak. He averaged 15.7 factors over the primary 4 video games of the profitable streak, however scored simply 11 every during the last two
Wahl hasn’t fallen off as arduous as Crowl, however the Badgers will want no less than one of many two to return to type in the event that they hope to proceed profitable.
G
Chucky Hepburn (Jr.)
6-2, 195
8.5
3.2
3.9
G
Max Klesmit (Jr.)
6-4, 200
8.9
1.8
1.3
G
A.J. Storr (So.)
6-7, 205
14.8
3.1
0.9
F
Tyler Wahl (Gr.)
6-9, 225
11.8
5.7
1.5
F
Steven Crowl (Jr.)
7-0, 247
11.7
7.6
2.3
G
Kanye Clary (So.)
5-11, 195
18.6
3.2
2.7
G
Ace Baldwin Jr. (Sr.)
6-1, 190
12.8
1.9
4.9
F
Puff Johnson (Sr.)
6-8, 205
6.4
3.1
0.1
F
Zach Hicks (Jr.)
6-8, 200
6.2
3.2
1.1
F
Qudus Wahab (Sr.)
6-11, 245
9.5
8.3
0.6
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