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

The No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team (9-2 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) are back in action on Thursday night after a week off and will face the Indiana Hoosiers (7-4 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) at the Kohl Center.

The Hoosiers have had an up and down sort of year but come into the game tonight on a two-game winning streak having beaten Penn State and Maryland in back to back games. It is worth noting that both of those games were at home and IU has not won a true road game yet this year.

Indiana features one of the best players in the nation, big man Trayce Jackson-Davis, who would be receiving much more hype for Big Ten Player of the Year if he did not play at the same time as Iowa’s Luka Garza. TJD is currently ranked as the No. 2 player in the country by KenPom’s Player of the Year rankings (where, fun fact, four of the top five players reside in the Big Ten). TJD is built like a tank, is agile and athletic, blocks shots and gobbles up rebounds. While he isn’t a threat to score, or shoot, from outside, he will definitely “get his” against the Badgers.

The IU offense has struggled at times this year to put the ball in the hoop, but their defense has been stout regardless. The Badgers are rated as the No. 7 most efficient defense in the country by KenPom, while Indiana sits all the way down at...No. 9. This one could turn into a bit of a slog offensively is what we are trying to say.

It’s tough to say how good Indiana’s three point defense really is, because they do give up an above average amount of three point attempts it just seems like they must do a good job contesting them or their opponents have just been missing them.

The Hoosiers will be without starting guard Armaan Franklin in this game which means we should see a couple of freshmen step into a larger role with Khristian Lander and Trey Galloway getting extended run. Franklin is the team’s best three point shooter, hitting 47.6% on 42 attempts, this year so his absence will be felt by a team that has gone through cold spells offensively.

How to watch/listen

TV: FS1, 6:00 p.m., CT, Adam Amin, Stephen Bardo

Streaming: FOX Sports GO

Radio/Satellite: 1310 AM, Sirius/XM 83; Matt Lepay, Mike Lucas

Live stats: Here!

Arena: Kohl Center

Line: Wisconsin -8.5

KenPom Wisconsin win percentage: 72%

Fun facts (according to the media guides)

• The Badgers are 17-1 all-time against Indiana at the Kohl Center, with wins in their last 17 meetings.
• UW’s 17 straight home wins over IU is the school’s second-longest streak vs. a Big Ten opponent, trailing it’s active 19-game home streak vs. Penn State.
• UW has won 21 of the last 24 vs. IU and Greg Gard is 7-2 in his career against Indiana.

• The Hoosiers lead the all-time series, 97-76, but the Badgers hold a 44-40 lead in Madison.
• In the most recent meeting, Wisconsin pulled off a comeback 60-56 win in Bloomington on the final game of the regular season to clinch a share of the 2020 Big Ten Championship.
• Nate Reuvers is averaging 11.8 ppg and 5.0 rpg in four games against IU, including 20 and 17 points in his last two meetings, respectively
• Micah Potter has emerged as one of the nation’s best-shooting big men, leading UW shooting 51.1% FG and 44.8% 3FG (12.7 ppg) and leads the Badgers in rebounding (7.3 rpg).
• Each of UW’s five starters are averaging more than one made 3FG per game all five have made at least nine triples this season.
• Committing only 8.3 turnovers per game, UW ranks second in the country.
• Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis is averaging 20.3 points, 8.3 rebounds while shooting 53.5% from the floor and swatting a team-high 19 blocks this season.

• Indiana is first in 3FG defense percentage (30.7) in the Big Ten.

Probable starters

Wisconsin

• D’Mitrik Trice, 6-foot, redshirt senior, guard, No. 0
• Aleem Ford, 6-foot-8 redshirt senior, forward, No. 2
• Micah Potter, 6-foot-10, redshirt senior, center, No. 11
• Brad Davison, 6-foot-4, senior, guard, No. 34
• Nate Reuvers, 6-foot-11, senior, forward, No. 35

Indiana

• Aljami Durham, 6-foot-4, senior, guard, No. 1
• Rob Phinisee, 6-foot-1, junior, guard, No. 10
• Trayce Jackson-Davis, 6-foot-9, sophomore, forward, No. 23
• Race Thompson, 6-foot-8, junior, forward, No. 25
• Trey Galloway, 6-foot-4, freshman, guard, No. 32