NFL
By: Melo Williams
No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team enters Friday’s matchup against Western Michigan looking to win their fifth game in a row.
Friday’s matchup will mark the second time that Wisconsin and Western Michigan have played in men’s basketball.
The Badgers won the only other meeting 80-68 in 1954. The head coach for Wisconsin at the time was Bud Foster.
The Badgers have been off for two weeks due to the Christmas break as expected, but Wisconsin was scheduled to host the Grambling State Tigers, but due to the frigid temperatures that blanketed the country, the game was canceled.
On the night former Wisconsin guard Trevon Hughes will be the honorary captain for UW expect the Badgers to come out fired up but probably a little rusty with their shots.
Western Michigan is coming to the Kohl Center with a 1-game winning streak beating Siena Heights 61-41 in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Broncos average 68 points per game and are led by senior guard Lamar Norman Jr. who averages over 18 points per game.
• Lamar Norman Jr. (G): 18.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game
• Tray Maddox Jr. (G): 10.5 points, and 4.1 rebounds per game
• Titus Wright (F): 7.3 points, and 4.8 rebounds per game. Wisconsin is allowing 60.8 points per game this season which ranks third in the B1G and ranks 4th in the B1G shooting 37% from three-point range. The Badgers are No. 13 in the country in turnovers per game, averaging just 10.3 per game.
Wisconsin’s team leaders are
Tyler Wahl (F): 14.5 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game
Chucky Hepburn (G): 12 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game
Connor Essegian (G): 10.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.
CONCLUSION:
I expect the Badgers to come out playing a little sluggish getting off to a slow start. With Trevon Hughes in the Kohl Center tonight I expect it will be electric which will eventually jolt the Badgers to playing good basketball.
Defensively, Wisconsin is going to get after it applying pressure to Western Michigan.
Wisconsin Badgers win 67-48.
GAME NOTES:
The Badgers are 41-12 all-time against teams from the MAC.
Follow Melo on Twitter/Instagram: @_MeloWilliams
Badgers should blow them out
Badgers going in conference play at #15 or higher after starting out of top 25