The Indiana Hoosiers have had their best start to the conference slate since 1993, but a trip to Madison on Tuesday to face the Wisconsin Badgers will test the Hoosiers to see if they belong in the Big Ten's elite.
In order to win their 13th straight game and keep their undefeated conference record in tact, the Hoosiers will have to win in the Kohl Center, a building they haven't won in since 1998, the year it opened.
Last Time Out
Saturday, the Hoosiers dominated once again at home, this time beating Northwestern by 32. That 32 point win comes after knocking off Illinois by 34 last Tuesday. The Hoosiers have won their Big Ten games by an average of 16.2 points and right now, they are clicking on all cylinders.
As for Wisconsin, they have had a bit more of a break than Indiana, as they are coming off of a six-point win last Thursday at Penn State. It was their first road win this season and they have now won two in a row following a win at home against Michigan State last Tuesday.
Scouting Report: Wisconsin
Tuesday night will be the second time these two teams have met as back in early January in Bloomington, the Hoosiers squeaked out a one-point win in a game that was not their best performance. The Badgers come in 3-4 in conference, but all of their losses have been by six points or less.
This is a Wisconsin team and program coming off of a national championship appearance a season ago and has reached consecutive Final Four's. That, however, was under Bo Ryan who stepped down as head coach earlier this season. They are now under the direction of Greg Gard, who is taking over in the interim for Ryan.
Gard has found a rotation of about seven, but the two main pieces of this team are Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes. Back on January 5 at Indiana, both Koenig and Hayes had 15 points
Hayes is a 6'8" forward who is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.2 points per game, but has struggled from the field as he is just shooting 38.6 percent. Koenig on the other hand is second on the team in scoring at 14 points per game, but has also struggled with his shot at just 40.4 percent from the field.
Koenig and Hayes are the two primary players on any team's scouting report, but freshman forward and Big Ten Freshman of the Week Ethan Happ is making a name for himself.
Happ is the team's leading rebounder at 8.3 rebounds per game to go along with 12 points per game. He also leads the team in field goal percentage at a mark of 54.1 percent. Last time out against Indiana, he had 10 points and eight rebounds.
Also in the starting five for the Badgers are Zak Showalter and Vitto Brown. Showalter is the second guard in the starting five and has scored in double figures in six of Wisconsin's seven conference games. As for Brown, he has struggled this season averaging just 4.7 points in conference and is getting his minutes cut into by Alex Illikainen.
A big strength of this Wisconsin team is their defense, who are 35th in the country in points allowed, giving up an average of 64.6 points per game. That makes up for their offense which ranks 279th in points per game at a tick of 68.8.
What Indiana Needs To Do
If there is one thing Indiana has to do in this game, it is just to play their game. Just because they are on the road doesn't mean they have to change their game plan or do anything else drastic. They didn't shoot the ball particularly well in their first game against the Badgers, but still squeaked out a win with their defense.
Yogi Ferrell is the Big Ten Player of the Week and hasn't scored less than 16 points in any of Indiana's conference games. He has been the heart and soul of this team lately, and has been an incredible leader for the Hoosiers.
For Indiana to be successful, they one, can't turn the ball over, and two, can't play at Wisconsin's pace.
First, Wisconsin can force a lot of turnovers which is evident by Indiana's 19 turnovers last time they played. If the Hoosiers can cut down on those turnovers, they will have success.
Second, Wisconsin wants to play at a slow pace and if they get a lead will slow the game down and make it tough for the Hoosiers to score. Getting up early, which they have done in the last two games, could be a good sign for Indiana.
What To Expect
Indiana comes into this game with a 57 percent chance to win according to KenPom, as he has them winning by just two points. They are also favored by about three in Vegas.
Unless Indiana comes out scoring the basketball like they have lately, this should be a close game throughout. The Hoosiers have played three conference road games already, but playing at Wisconsin is a bit different than Rutgers, Nebraska and Minnesota, especially when you haven't won there in the last 13 tries.
So, will it be the Hoosiers winning their 13th straight game, or will the Kohl Center and Wisconsin get the best of them once again? Tuesday night will provide a lot of answers.
Prediction:
Indiana 65, Wisconsin 62
Game Info:
First tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST on ESPN (Bob Wischusen & Dan Dakich) at the Kohl Center.