Wisconsin at Penn State: how to watch, game preview and open thread

The No. 14 Wisconsin Badgers (13-4 overall, 7-3 Big Ten) continue their East Coast road trip with a Saturday afternoon showdown with the Penn State Nittany Lions (5-7 overall, 2-6 Big Ten) in Happy Valley. UW beat Maryland on Wednesday and have spent the past few days in the beautiful and excellent state of Pennsylvania ahead of Saturday’s game.

The Nittany Lions have been tough at home this year, only losing to Illinois and Seton Hall (in OT) while beating Rutgers, Virginia Tech and VCU among others. PSU went two and a half weeks between games at the beginning of January due to COVID-19 concerns and finally seem to be getting their legs back, having won two of their last three with the one loss being by only four points at Ohio State.

PSU has a pretty good offense and can shoot the three at a good clip, but their defense isn’t great and the Badgers should be able to score in the paint fairly easily because the Nittany Lions aren’t a tall team. Hopefully this is another game where Nate Reuvers can get some good looks early and continue to play better.

How to watch/listen

TV: BTN, 2:00 p.m., CT, Brandon Gaudin, Brian Butch

Streaming: FOX Sports App

Radio/Satellite: 1310 AM, Sirius/XM 195; Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas

Live stats: Here!

Arena: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.

Line: Wisconsin -4

KenPom Wisconsin win percentage: 59%

Fun facts (according to the media guides)

• Wisconsin has won the last 13 meetings against the Nittany Lions, including eight straight wins at Penn State, the school’s longest road winning streak against a Big Ten opponent in history.
• Wisconsin has also won 26 of the last 28 against PSU overall dating back to 2004.
• UW owns a 39-10 edge in the all-time series.
• If the Badgers win on Saturday then their 14-game winning streak will be the longest against a conference opponent of all time.

• Wisconsin and Penn State will meet in back-to-back games (1/30 and 2/2). The last time the Badgers played two straight against one foe was 2009-10, when UW faced Illinois in the final game of the regular season, then again against the Illini in the Big Ten tournament.
• The last time the Badgers played an opponent back-to-back during the regular season was in 1983 against Ohio State.
• The last time the Nittany Lions faced the same opponent in back-to-back games was in the 2013-14 season, finishing the regular-season at Minnesota (L, 3/9/14) and then playing the Golden Gophers in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament (L, 3/13/14).
• UW owns eight Quad 1 & 2 wins according to the NET ranking. Wisconsin and Alabama (nine) are the only teams in the nation with at least eight Quad 1/2 wins.
• NEW STAT ALERT!!! The Badgers have had 10 or fewer turnovers in 15 of 17 games this season. However, dating back to last season, Wisconsin has committed 11 or fewer turnovers in 34 of the last 35 games.
• Last year against PSU, Micah Potter recorded his first double-double as a Badger with career highs in points (24) and rebounds (13). Potter was an efficient 9-for-14 FG, including a career high four three-pointers.
• Brad Davison finished with 11 points and grabbed a career high 13 rebounds. It marked the first double-double of his career.
• The last nine games D’Mitrik Trice has been rolling, averaging 17.7 points, 47.2% FG (including 44.9% 3FG) with 39 assists and 19 turnovers.
• The Badgers are 6-1 this season when making nine or more three pointers.

• Wisconsin is 3-1 with sophomore F Tyler Wahl in the starting lineup.
• Five of the Nittany Lions’ seven losses this season have been decided by eight points or less.
• Forward Seth Lundy posted his third career game with 20 or more points, all three occurring in 2020-21, with a game-high 26 at No. 13 Ohio State. His total vs. the Buckeyes was the sophomore’s highest in a Big Ten contest and 17 points in the first half was his highest total in a half.
• Penn State still has a player named Trent Buttrick. BUTTRICK!

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

Penn State

• Myreon Jones, 6-foot-3, junior, guard, No. 0
• Seth Lundy, 6-foot-6, sophomore, forward, No. 1
• Jamari Wheeler, 6-foot-1, senior, guard, No. 5
• Izaiah Brockington, 6-foot-4, junior, guard, No. 12
• John Harrar, 6-foot-9, senior, forward, No. 21