The Badgers are starting the new year with their toughest game yet.
The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers at the Kohl Center to open up the new year, with tip-off set for 7:00 p.m. on FOX.
Wisconsin has started the season 9-4, with all four of its losses being Quad 1 games to the BYU Cougars, TCU Horned Frogs, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Villanova Wildcats.
As a result, they’ll need a big January in Big Ten play to turn things around, starting with a big opportunity against Purdue on Saturday night.
The Boilermakers have gotten off to a 12-1 start this season, notably beating the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide on the road, the No. 15 Texas Tech Red Raiders by 30, and the No. 21 Auburn Tigers by 28. They also have wins over Memphis (by nine), Rutgers (by 16), Minnesota (by 28), and Marquette (by 20).
Purdue has a well-rounded offense, averaging 86 points per game, with Trey Kaufmann-Renn and Fletcher Loyer leading the team with 14 points per game apiece. Braden Smith is averaging 12.5 points a game himself, while leading the country with 9.5 assists per game.
The Boilermakers shoot the ball efficiently (51.4 percent from the field, 39.9 percent from three), defend at a high level (66 points allowed per game, 15th in KenPom defensive efficiency), and have the resume of a top-five team.
So, it’s going to be a tough challenge for Wisconsin, which has been inconsistent, on Saturday. The Badgers enter the game as 6.5-point underdogs, with the over/under at 153.5 points.
Join us as our game thread is officially open!
Category: General Sports
