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

The Wisconsin Badgers (1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) men’s hoops team is back in action on Friday night, welcoming the Green Bay Phoenix (0-1 overall, 0-0 Horizon League) to Madison for an in-state rivalry matchup with a little added spice this year. Green Bay head coach Will Ryan’s father, Bo, will be honored at halftime for being, well, the best basketball coach in Wisconsin Badgers history.

The Badgers started off their season with a pretty convincing win over St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday night, led by freshman PG Chucky Hepburn and sophomore wing Jonathan Davis, UW was more liable to get out on the fast break, but still had their deliberate pace with the rest of their offense.

UW shot 45.5% (10-for-22) from three-point range, turned the ball over just 12 times (three in the first half), and tallied 13 fast break points.

Green Bay lost a heart-breaker to Indiana State to open their campaign, losing 81-77 despite having a 12-point lead with 13 minutes to go in the game. Junior wing Emmanuel Ansong had a nice game, scoring 19 points, grabbing eight rebounds and adding four stocks (steals + blocks).

Wisconsin has only ever lost one game to Green Bay, and that was at Green Bay in 2009, so this should be another game the Badgers win, but these in-state games can often be closer than you’d think since there are a bunch of Wisconsin kids on the Phoenix who maybe feel slighted that the Badgers didn’t offer them.

Should be a fun one!

How to watch/listen

TV: only streaming/radio for this game too :(

Streaming: BTN+; 7 p.m. CT; Noah Clark, Cade Johnson; you can also find it on the FOX Sports app

Radio/Satellite: WIBA 1310 AM, Sirius/XM 195; Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas; WDUZ The Fan 1400 AM if you’re in the Green Bay area

Live stats: Here!

Arena: Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

DraftKings Line: Wisconsin -21.5
(Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.)

KenPom Wisconsin win percentage: 98%
Torvik Wisconsin win percentage: 97%

Fun facts (according to the media guides)

• Wisconsin and Green Bay renew a rivalry on Friday that has been played every year except one dating back to 1999.
• The Badgers are 25-1 in the series and 22-0 in Madison.
• Last season’s 40-point differential (82-42, Wisconsin win) was the largest in the history of the series.
• Greg Gard’s first game as head coach was against Green Bay, an 84-79 win on Dec. 23, 2015. Gard is 5-0 all-time against Green Bay.
• Wisconsin has won each of the last 10 games against Green Bay by an average of 17.8 points per contest.
• UW is 8-3 against in-state opponents under Greg Gard and has gone 47-12 (.797) in such games dating back to 2000.

• Greg Gard and UWGB head coach Will Ryan worked together on the UW staff from 2002-07, with Gard serving as assistant coach and Will Ryan holding the positions of video coordinator and director of basketball operations.
• Green Bay assistant coach Freddie Owens appeared in 111 games (61 starts) at Wisconsin, scoring 796 career points.
• Green Bay assistant coach Brandon Pritzl is the older brother of former Badger Brevin Pritzl (2016-20).
• Green Bay director of basketball operations Sam Vander Plas is a UW-Madison grad and former manager for the UW women’s hoops team.
• A total of nine current Badgers have seen action against Green Bay, led by Brad Davison, who is averaging 14.3 ppg in three appearances vs. the Phoenix. He has scored in double figures in all three meetings, posting 18 points in 2017, 15 in 2019 and 10 in 2020.

Potential Starters

Wisconsin

• Johnny Davis, 6-foot-5, sophomore, guard, No. 1
• Tyler Wahl, 6-foot-9, junior, forward, No. 5
• Steven Crowl, 7-foot, sophomore, forward, No. 22
• Chucky Hepburn, 6-foot-2, freshman, guard, No. 23
• Brad Davison, 6-foot-4, super senior, guard, No. 34

Green Bay

• Mitch Listau, 6-foot-4, RS sophomore, guard, No. 1
• Japannah Kellogg III, 6-foot-8, RS freshman, forward, No. 3
• Lucas Stieber, 6-foot-3, RS freshman, guard, No. 5
• Cade Meyer, 6-foot-8, freshman, forward, No. 11
• Emmanuel Ansong, 6-foot-4, junior, forward, No. 23