• What: Michigan State at Wisconsin
• When: 7 pm ET Tuesday
• Where: Kohl Center, Madison, Wisconsin
• TV/Radio: ESPN/Spartan Sports Network radio, together with WJIM 1240-AM and WMMQ 94.9-FM; Sirius/XM Ch. 385 (MSU broadcast), 84 (Wisconsin broadcast)
• Records/Rankings: MSU is 11-4 total, 3-1 within the Big Ten and unranked. Wisconsin is 11-3 total, 3-1 within the Big Ten and ranked No. 18 in each the Associated Press ballot and Coaches ballot.
• Betting line: Wisconsin -1.5
• Kenpom projected rating: Wisconsin 63-60
• Coaches: MSU — Tom Izzo is 677-271 in his twenty eighth season as a head coach, all with the Spartans. Wisconsin — Greg Gard is 155-81 in his eighth season as a head coach, all with the Badgers
Series: MSU leads 85-66 all-time. The Spartans gained two of three conferences final season, together with the sport in Madison.
Lineups
MSU
C (22) Mady Sissoko (6-9) 6.6
PF (10) Joey Hauser (6-9) 13.8
G (3) Jaden Akins (6-4) 8.3
G (2) Tyson Walker (6-1) 13.9
PG (11) AJ Hoggard (6-4) 11.9
Wisconsin
C (22) Steven Crowl (7-0) 12.5
F (14) Carter Gilmore (6-7) 7.5
G (2) Jordan Davis (6-4) 7.1
G (11) Max Klesmit (6-3) 6.9
G (23) Chucky Hepburn (6-2) 12.9
• MSU replace: The Spartans are coming off a 59-53 house win over Michigan, their sixth straight victory, a streak that started with their final Big Ten highway recreation, Dec. 7 at Penn State. MSU is 6-1 within the seven video games it is performed with a full roster this season — the primary 4 video games (Northern Arizona, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Villanova) and the final three (Buffalo, Nebraska and Michigan) — with these seven opponents capturing a mixed 24% on 3-point makes an attempt (37-for-154), when MSU has each Malik Hall and Jaden Akins to assist with its defensive coverages. In MSU’s different eight video games, throughout which the Spartans are 5-3, opponents are hitting a mixed 33% from deep (68-for-205).
MORE: Couch: AJ Hoggard made positive MSU beat Michigan. More than ever, the Spartans belief him – and know he makes them go.
• Wisconsin replace: The Badgers suffered their first Big Ten defeat Saturday at Illinois, falling 79-69, after successful six straight video games — together with league video games towards Maryland, Iowa and Minnesota. Wisconsin additionally has nonleague wins over Marquette and USC and a decent extra time loss towards Kansas on a impartial courtroom. The large information for the Badgers is the well being of main scorer Tyler Wahl, a 6-foot-9 energy ahead who missed the loss to Illinois with an ankle sprain sustained within the earlier recreation towards Minnesota. Wahl additionally missed final season’s house recreation towards the Spartans and it confirmed, with Malik Hall having a break-out exhibiting in a 12-point MSU win. In the rematch in East Lansing, with Wahl taking part in (and scoring 11), the Badgers gained by eight. The Spartans beat the Badgers within the Big Ten event with Wahl taking part in. Wahl did not apply Monday. His standing for Tuesday night time’s recreation is unclear.
• Inside the matchup: If Wahl does not play, that is a major benefit to the Spartans. Wahl does not cowl the courtroom fairly like MSU’s Malik Hall, however he is of comparable significance by way of defensive savvy and scoring punch. Unlike a yr in the past, the Badgers have one other formidable large man in junior Steven Crowl, a 7-footer who’s approaching this season, particularly of late. Crowl has scored 15 or extra factors in 5 of Wisconsin’s final eight video games, together with 25 towards Western Michigan and 20 towards the Illini. He additionally pulled down 12 rebounds the final trip and is a prepared and succesful 3-point shooter, one thing Mady Sissoko and MSU’s different bigs should respect. The Badgers don’t flip the ball over — their 14.5% turnover charge is seventh-best in school basketball. Experienced guard Chucky Hepburn is an enormous a part of that. Wisconsin shall be a take a look at of the Spartans’ stout 3-point protection. The Badgers are capturing 37% from lengthy vary this season, with three gamers capturing 40% or higher, led by Hepburn at 50% (31-for-62). The Badgers’ power, per common, is their protection. They’re twenty second nationally in defensive effectivity, per Kenpom. This is a prototypical Wisconsin workforce, when wholesome.
• Prediction: The Spartans have overcome the mystique and atmosphere of the Kohl Center lately, successful 4 of the final 5 conferences there. This is an MSU workforce that is aware of it might win in Madison. Most of MSU’s gamers have performed it. Wahl’s well being issues fairly a bit. If he performs, I’d be stunned if this recreation does not go right down to the wire. You should ignore a few of the analytical projections for the Spartans, as a result of greater than half of their video games have been performed with out Malik Hall and/or Jaden Akins. They’re a special squad now than they had been a month in the past.
• Make it: MSU 64, Wisconsin 61
MORE: Couch: 25 years in the past, MSU basketball gained the sport that ‘modified this system’ and set the course for all that adopted
—Graham Couch