Wolfpack Tipoff: Game 8, Wisconsin
NC State (5-2, 0-1 ACC) vs. Wisconsin (4-3)
PNC Arena (19,772)
9:15 p.m., ESPN2 (PxP: Mike Couzens; Analyst: Cory Alexander)
Streaming: ACC Network Extra; National radio: Sirius/XM channel 386 Live stats: GoPack.com
Series history: Wisconsin leads 3-0
Last meeting: Wisconsin won 79-75 in Madison, Nov. 27, 2018
Most recent game: State lost to Memphis 83-79, Wisconsin lost to New Mexico 59-50
BetOnline line: Wisconsin minus 7 | Over/Under 144
PROJECTED STARTERS
NC State stats | Wisconsin stats
| NC STATE | Stats | WISCONSIN | Stats | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Markell Johnson | 6-1 Senior | 12.0 ppg 6.7 apg | D/Mitric Trice | 6-0 Jiunior | 8.4 ppg 3.1 apg |
Braxton Beverly | 6-0 Junior | 9.1 ppg 2.1 apg | Brad Davison | 6-4 Junior | 12.1 ppg 4.1 rpg |
C.J. Bryce | 6-5 Redshirt Senior | 16.1 ppg 7.3 rpg | Kobe King | 6-4 Redshirt Sophomore | 10.3 ppg 4.0 rpg |
Jericole Hellems | 6-7 Sophomore | 10.7 ppg 4.1 rpg | Aleem Ford | 6-8 Redshirt Junior | 9.7 ppg 4.7 rpg |
Manny Bates | 6-10 Redshirt Freshman | 7.1 ppg 3.4 bpg | Nate Reuvers | 6-11 Junior | 15.4 ppg 5.7 rpg |
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"What was encouraging about when we got down, you don't know much about your team early in the season how they will react being down. That was the first time we were down at least 16-17 points. What was encouraging is that our guys stayed together. Through every timeout we would tell them 'Hey, you're back in the game.' You don't have to take some of those shots. We said stay the course.'
"The biggest thing for our guys is just (doing) some situational stuff up 15, down 15, how do we play, how do we handle it..Those types of things can win you games." Coach Kevin Keatts
NOTABLE
This game will be a rematch of last year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge game between the Wolfpack and Badgers in Madison -- won by Wisconsin 79-75 in a game that saw the Badgers' Brad Davison draw five offensive fouls on State. Markell Johnson led the Wolfpack with 21 points, which was a career high at the time ...
This year's game at PNC Arena will have a familiar look and feel to it, with six of the Wolfpack's top seven scorers back from last year's 24-12 team and six of the top eight scorers returning from Wisconsin's 23-11 squad. ...
These teams also met as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in 2010 with Wisconsin routing Sidney Lowe's final Wolfpack team 87-48 in Madison. ...
State is 7-12 in ACC/Big Ten Challenge play, but 6-3 at home. The ACC is 12-5-3 in the Challenge and 127-98 in Challenge games, It has the competition between the nation's top two conferences since 2015, winning the event in 2016-17 and tying last year. ...
Danny Dixon batles for a rebound in the season opener against Georgia Tech
Graduate transfer Danny Dixon returned to the Wolfpack's lineup last Thursday against Memphis after missing three games with a foot injury. The 6-foot-10 center played four minutes, going 0 for 1 from the floor. ...
Neither team has had any luck at Brooklyn's Barclay's Center this season. The Wolfpack lost to Memphis there on Thanksgiving Day while the Badgers were beaten in both games of the Legends Classinc there, losing to Richmond and New Mexico on on Nov. 25-26. ...
The Wolfpack and Badgers will feature contrasting styles, with State looking to push the pace offensively and Wisconsin looking to slow things down.. Coach Kevin Keatts' team ranks 15th nationally in scoring offense at 83.6 points per game while the Badgers are 254th at 68.3 points per game. On the other end of the floor, Wisconsin ranks 56th nationally scoring defense at 61.7 points per game while State ranks 215th, allowing 70.4 points per game.
