Gameday Guide: Wisconsin men's basketball vs. Lehigh preview
Winners of three games in a row, the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team will look to keep things rolling after finally entering the AP Top 25 for the first time this season.
The No. 22 ranked Badgers will host the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Thursday night at the Kohl Center, as Wisconsin begins a three-game stretch of non-conference games before the new year.
With that in mind, here is a preview of Wisconsin versus Lehigh to help prepare for Thursday night's matchup.
Game details and television information
- Wisconsin Badgers (8-2 overall) vs. Lehigh Mountain Hawks (4-4 overall)
- Tip time is set for 6 p.m. CST at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
- The game will be aired on Big Ten Network
- Matt Lepay will have the call on 1310 WIBA
- Live stats
Betting info
- Wisconsin is a 23-point favorite according to SI Sportsbook
- The over/under is set at 133.5
Series history
Thursday's matchup will be the first-ever meeting between Wisconsin and Lehigh. The Badgers are a perfect 7-0 all-time against Patriot League teams, including last season's thrilling 67-60 win over Colgate in the NCAA Tournament.
Lehigh season overview
Lehigh enters Thursday with a .500 record this season under longtime head coach Brett Reed. The Mountain Hawks got off to a slow start this season, losing their first two games, but managed to win their next four contests over Misericordia, Marist, Saint Francis (PA), and Monmouth. Lehigh has since lost their last two though and lost both of their games this season against high-major opponents (Syracuse and Virginia Tech) by an average of 22 points.
The Mountain Hawks have yet to play a conference foe this season, but they entered the season projected to finish No. 3 in the Patriot League behind Colgate and Boston University. Preseason All-Conference guard Evan Taylor leads Lehigh in points and rebounds this season and is the primary name to know entering the game.
Top scorers
Wisconsin
- Tyler Wahl (F): 14.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game
- Chucky Hepburn (G): 12.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game
- Connor Essegian (G): 10.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game
Lehigh
- Evan Taylor (G): 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and one assist per game
- Tyler Whitney-Sidney (G): 13.1 points, five rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game
- Keith Higgins Jr. (G): 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game
The biggest question for Wisconsin
The Badgers are big favorites in this game, and it will be interesting if they can finally generate some distance between themselves and an opponent. Wisconsin has won only three games by 10 or more points this season and has played in three overtime contests in their past six games.
Playing in seven-straight games decided by five points or less, Thursday against Lehigh is a big opportunity to potentially expand the playing rotation and provide some reserves with some valuable minutes. Players like Kamari McGee, Markus Ilver, Chris Hodges, and Isaac Lindsey have all played at times this season, but are still averaging less than 10 minutes per game this year. With only three non-conference opponents left on the schedule, Greg Gard would love to let all four players see the court a bit more before Big Ten play really ramps up.
Against UW-Green Bay, Wisconsin struggled to create the separation necessary to really go deep on their bench until late. It will be interesting to see if the Badgers can obtain a lead early and get some of the key reserves some playing time, while also giving some of the starters a break.
Game notes
- Lehigh head coach Brett Reed has led the Mountain Hawks for 16 seasons and has a 250-212 record with the program.
- After being picked to finish No. 9 in the Big Ten, the Badgers are 2-0 to start conference play and are now ranked No. 22 by both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.
- Wisconsin has won three-straight games with wins over Marquette, Maryland, and Iowa. Two of the three matchups went to overtime, while all three were decided by less than five points.
- The Badgers already have six top-100 wins according to KenPom, one of the top marks in the nation. Wisconsin is also one of the only teams in the country with three Quad 1 wins early on.
- Wisconsin is 5-2 in their last seven games, with each game coming down to the wire and won by five points or fewer.
- The Badgers are allowing an average of 61.3 points per game, which ranks inside the top five of the Big Ten.
Related links:
- WATCH: Greg Gard awards Isaac Lindsey with a scholarship
- Game notes and top plays from Wisconsin vs. Iowa
- Wisconsin takes down Maryland at the Kohl Center
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