Nebraska-Wisconsin Preview

As Wisconsin attempts to bounce back from having its eight-game winning streak snapped, it does so with its leading scorer and rebounder in the lineup but not its point guard.

Trying to overcome an injury to senior Traevon Jackson, Frank Kaminsky and the No. 7 Badgers look to get back on track against visiting Nebraska on Thursday night.

After missing Sunday's 67-62 loss at Rutgers with a concussion, Kaminsky (16.9 points, 8.2 rebounds per game) was cleared to practice and is set to play.

"I fought with the medical staff because I really wanted to play (Sunday)," Kaminsky said. "It was definitely hard to sit by and watch."

The 7-foot senior also could be asked to take on more of a leadership role with Jackson likely to miss most of the regular season with a foot injury suffered Sunday.

Jackson, who averages 9.4 points and a team-high 2.9 assists and started 84 consecutive games, is scheduled to have surgery Thursday.

"The leadership of everyone has to step up," said Kaminsky, who has averaged 20.0 points in his last four contests. "We're going to miss him a lot."

Sophomore Bronson Koenig (4.9 ppg, 2.1 apg) is expected to fill in for Jackson.

Despite Jackson's absence, Wisconsin (15-2, 3-1 Big Ten) appears confident it can bounce back after blowing a 12-point halftime lead Sunday. The Badgers shot 9 of 24 in the final 20 minutes to fall for the first time since an 80-70 home defeat to then-No. 4 Duke on Dec. 3.

"Good teams are the ones that can put losses behind them, learn from them and get better," said forward Sam Dekker, who had 15 points.

''We can learn from this and learn that we're not invincible. We can get knocked off. We have to be the aggressor, be the hunter instead of the hunted and accept that. Go out and get better and be ready to win.''

Wisconsin had a five-game winning streak against Nebraska (10-6, 2-2) snapped with a 77-68 road loss March 9, but it held the Cornhuskers to 45.5 points and 33.9 percent shooting in winning the two Big Ten meetings at the Kohl Center. Dekker scored 19 in a 77-46 win in the last matchup at Madison on Feb. 26, 2013.

Though Nebraska ranks second in the league in defensive field-goal percentage at 37.7 and allowed averages of 46.0 points and 30.8 percent shooting while beating Rutgers and Illinois at home last week, it's 1-3 on opponents' home floors this season. The Cornhuskers were limited to two points in the final 2:43 of a 70-59 loss to Iowa in their latest road game Jan. 5.

Second in the league with 18.9 points per game, Nebraska's Terran Petteway was held to 11 by the Hawkeyes before totaling 38 against Rutgers and Illinois. He had 26 points and 10 rebounds in last season's win over the Badgers, the only meeting of 2013-14.

Teammate Shavon Shields (17.1 ppg) also scored 26 in that contest but was held to two on 1-of-7 in the most recent matchup at Madison. Shields has scored 11 points in each of the last two games after averaging 22.3 in the previous three.

"(Nebraska's) got two great scorers but we'll be ready for whatever they bring at us," Kaminsky said.

The Cornhuskers snapped a 21-game road skid against Top 25 teams with a 60-51 win over then-No. 9 Michigan State on Feb. 16.