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

The final regular season game of the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team’s campaign is here. The No. 10 Badgers (24-5 overall, 15-4 Big Ten) have already clinched at least a share of the Big Ten Title and will look to win it outright by beating the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-21 overall, 3-16 Big Ten) on Sunday afternoon for Senior Day.

Wisconsin is coming off of an emotional, and incredible, win over No. 8 Purdue on Tuesday. Freshman point guard Chucky Hepburn made a banked-in three pointer with 1.2 seconds to play to win the game and the title. Nebraska, who has struggled all season, is actually coming into this game with a bit of momentum. The Huskers blew out Penn State a week ago and then upset No. 23 Ohio State on Tuesday night, with both wins coming on the road.

Wisconsin will be celebrating the three members of their senior class on Sunday as well. There will be a pregame ceremony that starts at 12:30 p.m. CT to honor Brad Davison, Chris Vogt and Carter Higginbottom who will all be playing their last career game at the Kohl Center.

Davison is one of the most decorated players in Wisconsin history, sitting atop the school’s record book in many categories as well as hitting clutch shots and taking clutch charges throughout his lengthy career. Vogt has only been in Madison for one season, after transferring from Cincinnati, but has been exactly what Greg Gard, and this team, needed in a veteran, backup big man. He hustles, he rebounds, he blocks shots and he provides a spark off the bench. Higginbottom is your classic end-of-the-bench Vibes Conductor. He hasn’t scored a point in his Wisconsin career, but he is the guy who has a personalized handshake for every teammate and keeps things loose.

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

“He’s kind of like the comical character on the team, like gets guys laughing, kind of take that deep breath, kind of relaxes them. Just because with the way that he carries himself and messes around with others and all that kind of stuff, he’s just kind of like that comical relief, but he also gets us hyped up,” Micah Potter told Jake Kocorowski.

Wisconsin has beaten the Huskers seven times in a row, and are favored by double digits to win again, but Nebraska is trying to keep their momentum going heading into next week’s Big Ten Tournament. The No. 1 seed in the conference tournament is on the line for the Badgers and Nebraska is trying to avoid finishing last in the conference, so there is something to play for for each team.

How to watch/listen

TV: BTN, 1:00 p.m. CT, Kevin Kugler, Robbie Hummel

Streaming: FOX Sports App; Watch FOX Sports

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

Live stats: Here!

Arena: Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

DraftKings Line: Wisconsin -12.5
(Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.)

KenPom Wisconsin win percentage: 89%
Torvik Wisconsin win percentage: 89%

Fun facts (according to the media guides)

• After clinching at least a share of its second Big Ten title in three years, Wisconsin looks to claim the title outright when it hosts Nebraska in its home finale Sunday.
• It is also Senior Day and the Badgers will honor Brad Davison, Carter Higginbottom and Chris Vogt.
• Dating back to 2002, UW is 17-3 on Senior Day.

• Wisconsin has won six Big Ten regular season titles since 2000, trailing only MSU (eight).
• Since 2001-02 when Bo Ryan and Greg Gard arrived in Madison, UW has the most Big Ten wins and best win pct. at 256-117 (.686).
• The Badgers have won 15 Big Ten games for just the third time in program history. UW has won 14+ just five times and Gard-led teams are responsible for three of those seasons.
• Over the past four seasons, Wisconsin has 53 Big Ten wins, the most in the league over that span (Purdue has 51). Among major conference teams, only Virginia (55), Duke (54) and Kansas (54) have more league victories.
• UW’s nine Quad 1 wins trail only Baylor (12) for most in the country, and their 16 Quad 1 & 2 wins matches Baylor for the most in the nation.
• The Badgers are 15-1 in games decided by six or fewer points — the most “close” wins in Division I. In fact, UW has won 15 straight games decided by two or fewer possessions.
• Sunday’s game will mark the 36th-ever meeting between Wisconsin and Nebraska in a series that began in 1904.
• The Badgers lead the all-time series, 21-14, winning 15 of the 19 meetings since the Huskers joined the Big Ten in 2011.
• The Badgers have won seven straight over Nebraska, including a 73-65 win in Lincoln earlier this year.
• In the last five meetings with the Huskers, the Badgers are averaging 12.0 made FGs per game on 41.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
• Wisconsin went 10-for-22 (45.5%) from 3-point range in the first game against Nebraska this year, matching the team’s second highest mark of the season. The Badgers’ 10 3-pointers are also the team’s most in a road game this season.

• According to KenPom, the Badgers have an adjusted offensive tempo of 67.2 possessions per game, which would be the team’s fastest mark since he began tracking the stat in the 2001-02 season.
• Brad Davison has now climbed up to sixth place (1,768) on Wisconsin’s all-time scoring list and needs 108 points to crack the top five all-time at UW.
• Tyler Wahl ranks third on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.7 rpg). He leads the team shooting 52.7% FG.
• Over the last six games, Big Steve Crowl is averaging 10.5 points per game shooting 59.5% from the floor and 8-for-10 FT.
• Over the last seven games, Hepburn has just six turnovers in 237 minutes played.
• Nebraska’s Bryce McGowens is averaging 20.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game over his last five contests and now leads all true freshmen nationally in scoring at 17.2 points per game.
• Following his 11-assist performance at No. 23 Ohio State, Alonzo Verge Jr. climbed from tenth to sixth on NU’s single-season assist chart. Verge is now 10 assists away from the No. 5 spot (Brian Carr, 166) and is only the fifth Husker player to record at least 150 assists in a season.

• Derrick Walker, Jr. is shooting 68.2 percent from the floor, which is currently the best mark in Nebraska history.
• Bryce and Trey McGowens are one of 15 brother combos on the same college roster this season.

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

Nebraska

• Alonzo Verge, Jr. 6-foot-4, senior, guard, No. 1
• Trey McGowens, 6-foot-4, junior, guard, No. 2
• Bryce McGowens, 6-foot-7, freshman, guard, No. 5
• Lat Mayen, 6-foot-9, junior, forward, No. 11
• Derrick Walker, 6-foot-9, junior, forward, No. 13