The Wisconsin Badgers will defend the Kohl Center tomorrow against the USC Trojans (14-5, 3-5) while looking to preserve a five-game winning streak.
Wisconsin has been the victors in the past five games against the likes of UCLA, Michigan, Minnesota, Rutgers, and Penn State. The winning streak has included an upset win over the second-ranked Wolverines in Ann Arbor, a buzzer-beater from John Blackwell to defeat the Golden Gophers, and a 27-point win over the Nittany Lions.
The past five games have been a wild ride for Wisconsin after suffering difficult losses to Purdue, Villanova, and Nebraska shortly before the start of the streak. The Badgers have still displayed some weakness on the court, but a winning recipe has been cooking lately for Coach Greg Gard.
For the Trojans, the trajectory of the season has been the opposite as of late with the team hitting a serious wall upon entering Big Ten Conference play. USC is 3-5 against Big Ten opponents early with losses to Washington, Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue, and Northwestern. The Trojans are currently on a two-game losing streak after dropping narrow contests to the Boilermakers and the Wildcats.
Wisconsin Badgers Face Interesting Opponent in the USC Trojans
On the heels of a blowout win over the Nittany Lions, Wisconsin must now regroup and face the Trojans in Madison. USC, however, is not going to be the same opponent as the Trojans have some serious differences compared to Penn State.
Against the Nittany Lions Wisconsin notably faced a roster that lacked overall firepower and ability on the court. Penn State outscored the Badgers 49-48 in the second-half largely due to Wisconsin substituting bench players for the majority of the half.
The Trojans are a team that can put up impressive numbers when at full health and a certain former five-star recruit will be on the court. Freshman guard Alijah Arenas made his long awaited debut against Northwestern following his medically induced coma that was the result of a car crash. Arenas has only been practicing for a month since resting and his rust was clear, putting up just eight points in 29 minutes while shooting 3-for-15 from the field.
Arenas may not be 100% again at the moment, but the guard is still going to be dangerous given his abilities. Holding down the Trojans’ offense in the absence of Arenas and leading scorer Rodney Rice has been veteran guard Chad Baker-Mazara. The guard began his career with Duquense and San Diego State before joining the Auburn Tigers for the past two seasons, starting 43 games during his tenure.
Baker-Mazara is averaging 18.6 points per game (career-high) this season while shooting 44.6% from the field and 36% from long-range. The guard is shooting a career-high 5.8 three-point attempts per game this season including six games with three or more made triples. The Badgers will need to keep a close eye on the guard should he see extended minutes. Baker-Mazara was limited to just 13 minutes of action last game against Northwestern.
Perhaps the most consistent cog in the offense this season for the Trojans has been Ezra Ausar, a talented veteran forward. The senior is averaging 16.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game this season while starting all 19 games for USC. Ausar previously made stops with ECU (two seasons) and Utah (one season) before landing with the Trojans for his final year of eligibility.
The forward only has one double-double this season but does have at least five rebounds in 13 games and double-digit points in 17 games. Ausar does his damage at the foul line with an average of 8.7 free-throw attempts per game and seven games with ten or more attempts.
For the Badgers, stopping USC means the team needs to defend the interior while being mindful of the perimeter threats. The Trojans attempt roughly 20 three-point shots per game with a heavy emphasis on working inside and passing out to the open shooters when needed. If the Badgers leave the outside shots open, it could be a long game in the Kohl Center.
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