Big Ten foes will collide when the Wisconsin Badgers (13-9) face the Ohio State Buckeyes (14-9) at Kohl Center. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 4 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Badgers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Illinois 63-55 on Sunday. Khalil Iverson was a key piece with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 66-61 loss against Maryland on Sunday. Jae’Sean Tate had a team-high 16 points.
Nigel Hayes has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Badgers. During that stretch, he has averaged 21.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers.
The top-notch Ohio State defense appears to have an advantage when it comes to eFG%. It ranks 19th in the nation in making teams miss (opponents’ eFG% of 44.8%), whereas the cold-shooting offense of Wisconsin is 271st with a mark of 47.8%.
Notes
The Ohio State Buckeyes have a defensive rating of 96.2 (ranked 41st), while the Wisconsin Badgers have an offensive rating of 107.3 (ranked 135th).
The Wisconsin Badgers average a field goal percentage of 42.8% this season. The Ohio State Buckeyes are a winless 0-4 when opponents have a FG% of 42.8% or greater.
The Wisconsin Badgers and the Ohio State Buckeyes both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Wisconsin is 271st and 244th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Ohio State ranks 186th and 161st in these categories.
Ohio State, the 15th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.7 per game. Wisconsin ranks lower at 171st with 3.5.
Wisconsin ranks 85th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Ohio State ranks 36th.
On average, Ohio State forces a turnover rate of 18.0%. When Wisconsin turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 6-3 record.
