The Wisconsin Badgers will face an offensive-minded #13 Illinois Fighting Illini team at home on Saturday with tipoff scheduled for NOON CT and it will be televised on the BIG10 Network. Wisconsin lost their last game on Tuesday against the Indiana Hoosiers on the road by a final score of 74-70.
A lot of the fanbase is giving head coach Greg Gard the heat right now because they have been struggling. Wisconsin does have an 18-10 record and a 10-7 record in BIG10 Conference play. If the Badgers were able to pull off the upset on Saturday afternoon, the talks about them collapsing and not making the big dance will disappear.
Five players scored in double figures for the Badgers on Tuesday night. Chucky Hepburn led the way for Wisconsin against Indiana with 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded six assists. AJ Storr scored 14 points in that contest against the Indiana Hoosiers. Max Klesmit and Justin Blackwell each scored 11 points.
Steven Crowl also added 10 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Wisconsin Badgers. All five of those players will need to be in double figures against an elite offensive college basketball team.
Players To Watch For on the #13 Illinois Fighting Illini Against the Wisconsin Badgers
Illinois has won their last three of four games and they have given up over 80 points or more in all of those games. In the last game they played in, the Fighting Illini defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers by a final score of 105-97 on Wednesday.
Terrance Shannon Jr. led the way for Illinois with 29 points, six rebounds, and one assist. Marcus Domask scored 22 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and recorded five assists against Minnesota. Coleman Hawkins scored 20 points, Quincy Guerrier scored 10 points, and Dain Dainja scored 11 points for Illinois.
Head coach Brad Underwood has his time at a 21-7 overall record this season and a 12-5 record in BIG10 Conference play. The only team they trail in the conference standings is the #2 Purdue Boilermakers.
Saturday’s contest is going to be a scoring festival. The Illinois Fighting Illini will give up points to the Wisconsin Badgers, but Wisconsin will not be able to stop Illinois on the defensive end of the floor. This college basketball game feels like a personnel mismatch.
