The Wisconsin Badgers return to the Kohl Center to take on the Central Michigan Chippewas. Tipoff on the Big Ten Network is at 7:00 PM, with the Badgers favored by 30.5 points.
The Badgers had a tough game in Milwaukee last Friday, losing 76-66 in overtime to the Villanova Wildcats. Wisconsin trailed by 15 points in the second half but fought back to tie the game in the final minute. Unfortunately, the Wildcats defeated the Badgers 20-10 in overtime. This was by far the most devastating loss for the Badgers.
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What should Badger fans know about the Central Michigan Chippewas?
Opponent preview
The Chippewas went 4-8 in their first season under longtime Ferris State head coach Andy Bronkema and brought in an all-new 15-man roster. Like Wisconsin, central Michigan is experiencing painful losses. The Chippewas led by 20 points in the second half against Northern Illinois on Saturday but fell 73-74 after a tip-in at the buzzer.
Central Michigan leads the Mid-American Conference with 4.33 blocks per game and allows 77.1 points per game. However, the Chipps rank 11th among 13 MAC teams averaging 73.4 points per game.
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7-foot center Nathan Claerbaut leads Central Michigan with 13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. The Ferris State transfer had his best game on Dec. 17 against Division II Olivet, scoring 31 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. It was Claire Bout’s third double-double this season.
The Chippewas will start two guards who can handle the ball. Wayne State transfer guard Tamario Adley averages 10 points per game and leads Central Michigan with 1.4 steals per game, while Michigan State transfer Phat Phat Brooks leads the Chippewas with 3.7 assists per game. The third guard is Jackson Whitaker, whose three-point shooting percentage is the highest on the team at 35%.
The second forward is Nick Mullen, averaging 8.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. He ranks second on the team with 1.3 blocks per game, behind only Claire Bout.
score prediction
This Badgers team needs to get back on track, and a MAC team with a losing record might be just what the doctor ordered. After last Friday’s loss, we saw just how frustrated Greg Gard’s team has been with the recent performance of the season.
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I have a strong feeling we’re going to see a furious Badgers team return to the Cole Center and dominate a team that ranks 277th in KenPom’s offensive efficiency and 343rd in defensive efficiency.
prophecy: Wisconsin 93-69.
