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The No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (13-2, 4-1 Big Ten) will look to build upon their five-game winning streak as they play host to the visiting No.16 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-3, 4-1 Big Ten) on Thursday night.
Ohio State enters Thursday’s contest having split their last two Big Ten games, losing to Indiana on the road and beating Northwestern at home.
Chris Holtmann has constructed one of the most blanced teams in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have the ability to play from the inside out, which makes them difficult to defend in the half-court.
As a team, Ohio State is shooting (.392%) from beyond the arc, which is good for 11th in the nation in 3P%.
The Badgers will need another strong performance from their star guard, Johnny Davis. The La Crosse Central product enters the game fourth in the nation in scoring, averaging 22.3 points per game.
The Wisconsin native has scored 15 or more points in 13 straight games for the Badgers, which is just two shy of the program record.
It’s also worth noting that Greg Gard has a 5-4 record against Ohio State as head coach of the Badgers.
Notable KenPom Rankings:
Wisconsin: 30th ranked team, 31st in ADJ Defense, 2nd in turnover%.
Ohio State: 21st ranked team, 11th in 3P%, 11th in ADJ offense.
Ohio State projected starters:
Guard: Jamari Wheeler (6.9 ppg, 4.5 apg)
Guard: Malaki Branham (10.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg)
Forward: Justin Ahrens (7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg)
Forward: E.J. Liddell (20.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg)
Forward: Zed Key (9.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
Wisconsin projected starters:
Guard: Chucky Hepburn (7.3 ppg, 2.1 apg)
Guard: Brad Davison (14.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg)
Guard: Johnny Davis (22.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg)
Forward: Tyler Wahl (10.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
Center: Steven Crowl (8.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Ohio State is the only team to beat Wisconsin with Johnny Davis on the floor this season.
The Badgers remain undefeated this season (13-0) when scoring 61 or more points, while losing both of the games in which they failed to reach that mark. The Badgers are also 8-1 this season in games decided by six points or less.
Wisconsin-Ohio State tips off Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPN 2.
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