Wisconsin Hosts FIU Saturday at 1 p.m.
December 01, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The 12th-ranked Wisconsin men's basketball team hosts Florida International Saturday in the second of three consecutive games at the Kohl Center for the Badgers. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. ESPN360 will broadcast the game with Jeff Friedman and Dave Kaplan calling the action.
The Badgers (6-1) are coming off an 81-66 win over Florida State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Tuesday. The Golden Panthers (3-4) dropped a 65-39 decision to 2006 NCAA Final Four participant George Mason Monday.
Alando Tucker recovered from an eye injury to score 22 points in leading the Badgers against Florida St. It was his fourth 20-point effort in seven games this season. Tucker leads the Big Ten in scoring (20.4 ppg.) and is his team's third-leading rebounder at 4.1 per game.
Senior guard Johwen Villegas leads Florida International in scoring (12.6 ppg.) and rebounding (5.0 rpg.) despite measuring just 6'4'. He scored a season-high 23 points in a two-point victory over Kennesaw State and had a double-double (22-12) in points and rebounds in a win over Alcorn State.
Saturday's match-up will mark the first time that the Badgers and the Golden Panthers meet on the hardwood. Florida International will also be UW's first Sun Belt Conference opponent since Nov. 25, 1989, when Wisconsin beat Western Kentucky, 73-62. The Badgers are 5-0 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt Conference.
