Wisconsin
9-5, 2-1 Big Ten
Illinois
10-5, 2-2 Big Ten
Game Coverage
January 8 | 8 p.m. CT | Kohl Center | Madison, Wis.
MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin men's basketball team returns home Thursday to battle Illinois at the Kohl Center. Tip is set for 8 p.m. (CT) on BTN.
1) NO PLACE LIKE HOME: Wisconsin is undefeated (7-0) at home this season, defeating all six of its opponents at the Kohl Center by double digits. Since the building opened on Jan. 17, 1998, the Badgers are 304-51 (.856) all-time at the Kohl Center, the 10th-highest win percentage among NCAA Divison I venues.
2) BATTLE TESTED: The Badgers rank No. 26 in the NET Rankings (as of Jan. 7), which also ranks Wisconsin as having the fifth-toughest schedule in the nation. The Big Ten features 10 teams in the top 40 of the NET Rankings, including the Badgers.
UW's losses this season have come against teams with a combined record of 60-16.
3) RELIABLE REUVERS: Junior forward
Nate Reuvers leads UW averaging 14.9 points per game this season. He's scored in double figures in 12 of 14 games and has matched his career high (22 points) on two different occasions this season. Averaging 2.3 blocks per game, Reuvers is trying to become just the fourth Badger to average at least 2.0 blocks in a season and the first since Jared Berggren in 2013.
4) ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME: Wisconsin has knocked off a top-10 team each of the last 11 seasons Since
Greg Gard took over as head coach, the Badgers have eight wins over teams ranked in the AP Top 10, including five wins over the nation's top five, the most by any team in the Big Ten Conference.
5) FIGHTING ILLINI: Illinois (10-5, 2-2 B1G) is led by guard Ayo Dosunmu (15.1 ppg) and center Kofi Cockburn (15.0 ppg) who are averaging double-figures this season. Cockburn is hauling in an impressive 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field. The Fighting Illini have had a challenging schedule to start the season, including narrow losses at current No. 12 Maryland and against current No. 19 Michigan.
LAST TIME OUT
Wisconsin 61, #5 Ohio State 57
Trailing 51-47 with 4:30 remaining, Wisconsin rallied, scoring the next eight points, including a big 3 from Brevin Pritzl to take the lead and never looked back in a 61-57 upset at No. 5 Ohio State last Friday night.
- UW tallied its eighth win over a top-10 team under Greg Gard and the fifth over a top-five team, most in the Big Ten.
- The Badgers have now won five of the last seven games against the Buckeyes, including wins in three of the last four trips to Columbus.
- UW turned the ball over 10 times, but had zero turnovers in the final 15:07 of the game.
- Junior Nate Reuvers led UW with 17 points (10-12 FG), plus nine rebounds (four offensive).
- Sophomore Kobe King notched 13 points (6-7 FG), his eighth game this season scoring in double figures.
- Freshman Tyler Wahl made pivotal plays, finishing with seven rebounds (five offensive), four points, career high three steals and two assists.
ALL-TIME VS. ILLINOIS
Wisconsin and Illinois have met exactly 200 times in a series that dates back to 1906. The Illini lead the all-time series, 110-90, however the Badgers own a 59-39 advantage in Madison.
- The Badgers have won 15 straight over Illinois, marking the longest all-time win streak of any team against the Illini. Purdue had a streak of 13 (1967-75) and Michigan State had a run of 10 (1974-78).
- Wisconsin has won eight straight games over Illinois in Madison and seven straight in Champaign. UW's seven-game win streak in Champaign is the longest-ever win streak by any team at Illinois.
- UW's 15 straight wins over Illinois is also the team's longest-ever win streak against a Big Ten opponent.
- Reaching 60 points has been an incredible indicator in this series. The first team to score 60 points is 32-1 over the last 15 seasons. The only loss was UW's 71-64 comeback win on Jan. 20, 2007 (ILL led 60-57 with 5:07 left).
- Wisconsin has held Illinois to 70 or fewer points in each of the last 28 matchups.
- Brad Davison has scored in double figures in all four career meetings with Illinois. He has averaged 15.0 ppg, going 8-for-18 from 3-point range and 20-for-24 at the free throw line.
- Brevin Pritzl is averaging 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in four career outings vs. Illinois.
- Nate Reuvers is also averaging 10.5 points per contest in four career games against the Illini.
