The Wisconsin Badgers are fresh off of an overtime win over the #8 Illinois Fighting Illini and now must head into another game against a tough ranked opponent.
The visiting Michigan State Spartans will touch down in Madison, Wisconsin on February 13th for one of the biggest games remaining on the schedule for both teams. Michigan State currently sits in the third spot in the Big Ten Conference rankings with a record of 10-3 against conference opponents. Two of the three conference losses that the Spartans suffered (Nebraska, Minnesota) both occurred during away games which bodes well for the potential chances the Badgers have at securing a win.
Wisconsin on the other hand is in the seventh position in the Big Ten with a conference record of 9-4. The Michigan Wolverines remain the current conference leads with a record of 13-1, dropping just one game to the Badgers earlier in the season. For Wisconsin, a win against another ranked opponent in the Spartans would be big ahead of both the conference and postseason tournaments.
Wisconsin Badgers Look to Build Winning Streak Against Michigan State Spartans
For Wisconsin, there is only a short window of time left in the regular season to improve the future seeding the team will receive. Defeating Michigan State is the first task that stands in the way of Wisconsin finishing off the regular season with limited issues.
The Wolverines have been led on offense this season by guard Jeremy Fears Jr. who has been a do-it-all type of player for the program. Fears started all 36 games he played last season for the Spartans while averaging 7.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. This season, the guard has taken major steps forward with averages of 15.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 9.1 assists (leads the NCAA).
Fears has primarily made a name for himself as a passer who is able to consistently find the open man on the court. The guard is a crafty passer and a difficult player to fully shutdown, with more double-doubles this season (8) than single-digit scoring games (6). Fears can be slowed down, however, with the guard failing to record a double-double in any of the four losses the Spartans have had this season. The Badgers will need to keep Fears one dimensional during the clash to prevent the guard from taking over the game.
In addition to Fears is the successful forward duo of Jaxon Kohler and Coen Carr who help fuel the team. The duo average a combined 14.8 rebounds per game and serve two different roles within the team as Kohler is the primary three-point shooter on the team. The Spartans only attempt roughly 21 three-point shots per game while Wisconsin attempts 31.
Where Kohler and Carr both excel is on the boards as the duo clean up missed shots, with the Spartans averaging 41.4 rebounds per game as a team. Outside of the duo, Michigan State primarily relies on center Carson Cooper with an average of 7.2 rebounds per game this season. The Spartans are dangerous around the basket and limiting second-chance attempts will be key for Wisconsin.
Defense is going to be the name of the game for the Badgers as the Spartans have not scored more than 73 points in a loss.
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