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The No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers (12-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten) are out east for the week and will play the Maryland Terrapins (9-7 overall, 3-6 Big Ten) in College Park on Wednesday night. This is the first replay opponent for the Badgers this season and they will be looking to extract some revenge since the Terps beat UW by six points back in December, ending Wisconsin’s 10-game conference winning streak.
Ready for the rematch #OnWisconsin » #Badgers pic.twitter.com/3ImFDRtjWr
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 27, 2021
Maryland had beaten zero teams of note before upsetting Wisconsin at the Kohl Center and since then they have been on a wild roller coaster ride of dizzying highs and expected lows. The Terps have lost to Michigan twice, Indiana and Iowa since beating Wisconsin but have also beaten Minnesota and Illinois on the road.
If you have figured out this Maryland team, please fill us in down in the comments because they are a wild bunch.
In what might sound like a threat to some Wisconsin fans, the Terps have had trouble against teams that are good three point shooting outfits in Big Ten play. They give up an average amount of three point attempts compared to overall field goal attempts, however their opponent’s three point percentage is 37.7%, good for second worst in the league.
The Badgers had a bunch of good looks from three in their last game against Ohio State (a loss, if you’ve forgotten) but they just weren’t going down. Both head coach Greg Gard and the players have noted in media availability since the game that those were shots they’d take again, and hopefully that isn’t just talk. Wisconsin is a good three point shooting team and it stinks that they all went cold (except for Aleem Ford tbh) in the same game, but that probably shouldn’t happen again.
It's #SuitsAndSneakers Week
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 27, 2021
Our staff will wear sneakers with colors representing forms of cancer, including unique shoelaces signifying each coach’s specific fight
• Gard – Gray (brain)
• Krabbenhoft – Pink (breast)
• Oliver – Pink (breast)
• Tucker – Yellow (childhood) pic.twitter.com/2l5uCUgHkC
Wisconsin will also need to do a better job of protecting the rim and keeping Maryland’s bevy of wings and guards from penetrating the paint easily. Hopefully Nate Reuvers, who had a nice outing against the Buckeyes, is building confidence because he could be an integral part of shutting down the Terps’ offense.
How to watch/listen
TV: BTN, 8:00 p.m., CT, Kevin Kugler, Stephen Bardo
Streaming: FOX Sports App
Radio/Satellite: 1310 AM, Sirius/XM 83; Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas
Live stats: Here!
Arena: Xfinity Center; College Park, Md.
Line: Wisconsin -3.5
KenPom Wisconsin win percentage: 58%
Fun facts (according to the media guides)
- Wednesday’s game will be the 18th meeting between Wisconsin and Maryland in a series that dates back to 1931.
- The Badgers lead the all-time series, 10-7, although the teams are tied at 5-5 since the Terps joined the Big Ten.
- Wisconsin lost by six when Maryland visited the Kohl Center earlier this season.
College Park, Maryland pic.twitter.com/F8Kv2cDZoN
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 27, 2021
- Trailing by four points at the half, the Terps stormed back by shooting 64-percent in the second half. Eric Ayala led the charge, scoring all 17 of his points in the second frame
- The Terps are 4-2 at home against the Badgers.
- The Badgers have six wins over teams in the KenPom top-50 so far this season.
- Over the last three seasons, Wisconsin has won 72.7% of its games coming off a loss (16-6).
- The Badgers are 3-0 this season after a loss, bouncing back with wins: vs. Rhode Island (+11), vs. Minnesota (+12) and at Rutgers (+6).
- During Big Ten play, D’Mitrik Trice is averaging 17 points, 4.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from 3-point range. He needs just two more three pointers to pass Kirk Penney for fourth place all-time.
Meech making moves pic.twitter.com/LbJG9vqFRR
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) January 23, 2021
- Trice also needs just two more assists to crack the top-five all-time at UW.
- Trice scored 25 points against Maryland in their first matchup this season, leading all scorers.
- Senior Brad Davison has scored in double digits in five of six career meetings with Maryland, averaging 12.7 ppg against the Terps.
- Some key factors that contributed to Maryland’s win in December: The Badgers turned the ball over just seven times, but shot just 38.1% from deep (8-21) and 8-for-15 at the free throw line. UM also boasted a 38-20 scoring edge in the paint.
- Maryland’s meeting with Wisconsin marks its seventh matchup against a ranked opponent in its last nine games.
- Maryland outrebounded Minnesota on Saturday, 38-30, to move to 8-0 when winning the rebounding battle this season. Dating back to last year, it has won 17 consecutive games in which it has won the rebounding battle. The last loss came at Wisconsin on Jan. 15, 2020.
Probable starters
Wisconsin
- D’Mitrik Trice, 6-foot, redshirt senior, guard, No. 0
- Aleem Ford, 6-foot-8, redshirt senior, forward, No. 2
- Tyler Wahl, 6-foot-9, sophomore, forward, No. 5
- Micah Potter, 6-foot-10, redshirt senior, center, No. 11
- Brad Davison, 6-foot-4, senior, guard, No. 34
Maryland
- Aaron Wiggins, 6-foot-6, junior, guard, No. 2
- Eric Ayala, 6-foot-5, junior, guard, No. 5
- Darryl Morsell, 6-foot-5, senior, guard, No. 11
- Hakim Hart, 6-foot-6, sophomore, guard, No. 13
- Donta Scott, 6-foot-7, sophomore, forward, No. 24