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Preview: Wisconsin Badgers open Big Ten play against battle-tested Northwestern

Wisconsin Badgers enter tonight's Big Ten opener against Northwestern having won 19 of its last 22 opening games.
Benjamin Worgull|
Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) watches the ball Thursday, March 13, 2025, during the second round of the men's Big Ten tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 70-63.
Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) watches the ball Thursday, March 13, 2025, during the second round of the men's Big Ten tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 70-63. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

After a 12-day road trip, the Wisconsin men's basketball team returns to Madison to open Big Ten play against Northwestern. The Badgers remain unbeaten at home this season while the Wildcats are at the end of a five-game road trip, having gone 2-2 in four neutral-site games.


Here is a look at both teams and a prediction for tonight's contest.

Northwestern (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (5-2, 0-0 Big Ten)

Date/Time – Wednesday, December 3, 8 p.m.
Arena – Kohl Center
TV – Big Ten Network (Kevin Kugler and Shon Morris
Radio – Badgers Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Charlis Wills)
Coaches - Greg Gard at Wisconsin (218-119 in his 11th season). Chris Collins at Northwestern (199-192 in his 13th season)
Series – Wisconsin leads 126-67, including 70-24 in Madison
Point Spread – Wisconsin -9.5

Wisconsin probable starters

2 Nick Boyd (6-3 Senior Guard, 21.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 3.1 apg)
7 Andrew Rohde (6-6 Senior Guard, 6.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.9 apg)
22 Austin Rapp (6-10 Sophomore Forward, 10.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
25 John Blackwell (6-4 Junior Guard, 19.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 apg)
31 Nolan Winter (6-11 Junior Forward, 13.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 1.7 apg)
Off the bench
0 Braeden Carrington (6-5 Senior Guard, 6.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.3 apg)
5 Jack Janicki (6-5 Sophomore Guard, 3.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.9 apg)
23 Will Garlock (7-0 Freshman Center, 0.9 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 2.2 apg)
32 Aleksas Bieliauskas (6-10 Freshman Forward, 3.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 0.6 apg)
Player to watch
Entering Big Ten play 12 points away from 1,000 career points, Blackwell is the only player in the Big Ten with multiple games this year of 30+ points, having scored 31 points in the season opener against Campbell and 30 last Friday against TCU.

Northwestern probable starters

2 Nick Martinelli (6-7 Senior Forward, 20.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.4 apg)
4 Jayden Reid (6-1 Junior Guard, 12.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 6.1 apg)
8 Tre Singleton (6-8 Freshman Forward, 7.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.6 apg)
22 Arrinten Page (6-11 Junior Forward, 15.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.6 apg)
44 Angelo Ciaravino (6-6 Sophomore Guard, 7.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Off the bench
10 Max Green (6-6 Sophomore Guard, 5.9 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.6 apg)
20 Justin Mullins (6-6 Senior Guard, 4.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.4 apg)
24 K.J. Windham (6-5 Junior Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Player to watch
Martinelli is the fifth-leading returning scorer the country this year and is second among all scorers who are returning to the school they played at in 2023-24, joining Markus Burton (Notre Dame, 21.3 ppg). Martinelli has scored in double-figures in 32 of his last 33 games, and had a streak of 30 games, the longest by a Wildcat since Evan Eschmeyer (1997-99, 65).

Series notes

Wednesday's game marks the 194th meeting between Wisconsin and Northwestern in a series that dates back to 1910. UW leads the all-time series between the schools, 126-67, and lead 70-24 in Madison.

The Badgers have won the last four meetings with Northwestern and 26 of the last 33 dating back to 2007. UW won both matchups against the Wildcats last season.

Under Gard, Wisconsin owns a 12-5 record against the Wildcats, including 5-3 in games played at the Kohl Center.

Northwestern has reached 70 points just once in its last 50 meetings with Wisconsin (UW's 82-76 win at NU in 2022). That stretch of defensive efforts dates back to 1997.

This is the only regular-season matchup between the schools.

Wisconsin notes

The Badgers are averaging 87.1 points per game and have scored 80+ points in five of their seven games this year.

UW sports a 119.3 offensive rating per KenPom, which ranks 31st in the country and would be the fifth-best mark in school history.

Gard, the Badgers are 18-0 all time when they score 90+ points, including a 4-0 record this season.

Gard's 59.8 conference win percentage ranks eighth-best among Big Ten coaches of the last 40 years (since 1980).

UW has posted a winning Big Ten record in 22 of the last 25 seasons. Wisconsin has won 10+ Big Ten games in 21 of the last 24 seasons. No other team can make that claim.

Northwestern notes

The Wildcats are 8-4 in Big Ten openers in the Chris Collins era, claiming victories in four of the last five games.

Northwestern ranks 42nd in the country (third in Big Ten) shooting 38.2 percent from 3-point distance and ranks 45th nationally (fourth in Big Ten) allowing opponents to shoot 28.1 percent from long range.

Northwestern ranks fourth in the country with an assist/turnover ratio of 2.08. The Wildcats are fifth nationally averaging 8.9 turnovers per game.

As a team, Northwestern is shooting 51.6 percent from the field this season, which ranks 24th nationally and fourth in the Big Ten. It is the highest percentage the team has shot over the season's first seven games during the Collins era.

Northwestern has scored 75+ points in six consecutive games for the first time since December 1 - 21, 2015.

Prediction: Wisconsin by 8
Worgull's Prediction: 6-1 (3-4 ATS)
Points off Prediction: 81 (11.6 ppg)

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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