Wisconsin vs. Ohio State: how to watch, game preview and open thread

The Wisconsin Badgers have eight games left in the regular season, five of them at the Kohl Center and five of them they are currently favored to win by KenPom’s metrics (and one, this game against Ohio State, that they are given a 49% chance to win). This is good news because the Badgers (13-10 overall, 6-6 B1G) currently have an NCAA Tournament worthy resume but they need some wins to really bolster their case.

Wisconsin has lost three of their last four games, all on the road mind you, and beaten Michigan State at home in the midst of it all. They’ve also lost one starter to transfer, one starter to suspension (for one game) and one strength and conditioning coach to poor judgement in recounting a story.

They’ve been put through the ringer the past two weeks and it shows. They welcome the Buckeyes (15-7 overall, 5-6 B1G) to Madison on Sunday afternoon in a game that they need to win for their sanity just as much as their tourney hopes.

After losing to Wisconsin earlier this year, the Buckeyes went on to lose four of their next five and plummet out of the top-25 rankings. Recently, however, they are on a three game winning streak having won at Northwestern, Indiana and at Michigan. Kaleb Wesson is still basically unstoppable and will provide trouble for both Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter.

Since his clunker of a game against the Badgers the first time around (zero points, one assist, four turnovers), DJ Carton had been averaging 11.8 points and three assists per game in his last seven, but he stepped away from the team for mental health reasons a week ago and will not play against Wisconsin.

The Badgers will also be recognizing the 2000 Final Four team during the game, which is exciting for all of you Mark Vershaw stans out there and also for all of you who may not remember a time when the Badgers were supposed to be good.

How to watch/listen

TV: CBS, noon, CT, Carter Blackburn, Jim Spanarkel

Streaming: CBS Sports App

Radio/Satellite: 1310 AM, Sirius/XM 380; Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas

Live stats: Here!

Arena: Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin

Line: Wisconsin -1

KenPom Wisconsin win percentage: 49%

Fun facts (according to the media guides)

• Sunday’s game will mark the 167th meeting between Wisconsin and Ohio State in a series that dates back to 1905. OSU leads the all-time series, 92-74.
• The Badgers lead 48-33 in Madison, however, and also beat then No. 5 Ohio State 61-57 earlier this season in Columbus.
• Freshman Tyler Wahl played 25 minutes off the bench and finished with seven rebounds (five offensive rebounds), four points, a career high three steals and two assists in the first match up this year.
• In Madison, Wisconsin has won 12 of last 15 contests against Ohio State dating back to 2001.
• Wisconsin has two Ohio natives on its roster: D’Mitrik Trice (Huber Heights) and Micah Po‚tter (Mentor). Po‚tter played at OSU two seasons before transferring to Wisconsin in Dec. of 2018. His brother plays football at Ohio State.
• Wisconsin leads the Big Ten averaging just 9.1 turnovers per game in conference play.
• D’Mitrik Trice is fifth in the Big Ten maintaining a 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• The Badgers are 0-8 this season when they aren’t leading at halftime.
• Kaleb Wesson has scored in double figures in all but two games this season and scored 22 (with 13 rebounds) against the Badgers earlier this season.
• Ohio State has some pretty wild stats in their game notes including their records on every day. The last time the Buckeyes played the Badgers on February 9th, it was 1985 and Wisconsin won 92-78. I’m pretty confident this game will be a cake-walk for UW now.
• It is also important to know that the Buckeyes have a dude named Harrison Hookfin on their team. Outrageous.

Probable starters

Wisconsin

• D’Mitrik Trice, redshirt junior, guard, No. 0
• Aleem Ford, redshirt junior, forward, No. 2
• Tyler Wahl, freshman, forward, No. 5
• Brad Davison, junior, guard, No. 34
• Nate Reuvers, junior, forward, No. 35

Ohio State

• Luther Muhammad, sophomore, guard, No. 1
• CJ Walker, junior, guard, No. 13
• Andre Wesson, senior, forward, No. 24
• Kyle Young, junior, forward, No. 25
• Kaleb Wesson, junior, forward, No. 34