All Badgers

Wisconsin Badgers prepare for first of two meetings with Ohio State and the Buckeyes' big-bodied frontcourt.

Wisconsin and Ohio State are narrowly separated in the computer rankings and the Big Ten standings.
Benjamin Worgull|
Jan 26, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) is fouled by Penn State Nittany Lions guard Melih Tunca (9) during the second half at Value City Arena.
Jan 26, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard John Mobley Jr. (0) is fouled by Penn State Nittany Lions guard Melih Tunca (9) during the second half at Value City Arena. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

After one of its largest second-half comebacks in school history, Wisconsin begins the second half of the Big Ten season in a tie for fifth place and will close its three-game homestand against Ohio State.

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

Ohio State (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten) vs. Wisconsin (15-6, 7-3 Big Ten)

Date/Time – Saturday, January 31, 1 p.m.
Arena – Kohl Center
TV – Fox (Jason Benetti and Steve Smith)
Radio – Badgers Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch)
Coaches - Greg Gard at Wisconsin (228-123 in his 11th season). Jon Diebler (39-24 in third season)
Series – Ohio State leads 95-80; Wisconsin leads 52-34
Point Spread – Wisconsin -4.5

Wisconsin probable starters

2 Nick Boyd (6-3 Senior Guard, 20.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.6 apg)
7 Andrew Rohde (6-6 Senior Guard, 6.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.8 apg)
25 John Blackwell (6-4 Junior Guard, 18.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.2 apg)
31 Nolan Winter (6-11 Junior Forward, 13.9 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.8 apg)
32 Aleksas Bieliauskas (6-10 Freshman Forward, 4.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.7 apg)
Off the bench
0 Braeden Carrington (6-5 Senior Guard, 7.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.9 apg)
5 Jack Janicki (6-5 Sophomore Guard, 2.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.1 apg)
22 Austin Rapp (6-10 Sophomore Forward, 8.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.7 apg)
23 Will Garlock (7-0 Freshman Center, 1.2 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Player to watch
Winter ranks third in the Big Ten with nine double-doubles this season. Since 2004-05, only two Badgers have had more in a season (Ethan Happ and Frank Kaminsky).

Ohio State probable starters

0 John Mobley Jr. (6-2 Sophomore Guard, 16.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.8 apg)
1 Amare Bynum (6-8 Freshman Forward, 9.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 apg)
2 Bruce Thornton (6-2 Senior Guard, 19.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.7 apg)
13 Christoph Tilly (7-0 Senior Center, 12.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.5 apg)
21 Devin Royal (6-6 Junior Guard, 13.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Off the bench
3 Taison Chatman (6-4 R-Sophomore Guard, 2.5 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.5 apg)
6 Puff Johnson (6-8 Graduate Guard/Forward, 1.0 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.0 apg)
7 Ivan Njegovan (7-2 Sophomore Center, 3.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.7 apg)
Player to watch
Averaging five three-pointers over the last four games, Mobley Jr. is also seeking his fifth consecutive game of 20 or more points, something that hasn’t been done by a Buckeye since 2013.

Series notes

UW has won three straight and five of the last six games against OSU.

UW has won four of its last five vs. Ohio State at the Kohl Center.

Under head coach Greg Gard, Wisconsin is 10-5 all-time against the Buckeyes

Wisconsin has held OSU under 70 points in each of the last 6 meetings. The Badgers have won 12 of the last 13 when holding the Buckeyes below 70.

Wisconsin notes

The Badgers enter Saturday averaging 10.9 3-pointers per game, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 18th nationally. UW is on pace to smash its single-season record of 9.9 3FGs/gm set last season.

UW sports a 121.0 offensive rating per KenPom, which would be the fourth-best mark in school history since 1997.

Boyd ranks second in the Big Ten in scoring at 20.0 ppg. He looks to become the first Badger since Michael Finley in 1995 to average 20.0 ppg in a season.

UW will recognize Ken Siebel as Saturday's honorary captain. The third Badger in history to reach the 1,000-point threshold. He was a hero in Wisconsin’s 1962 upset over No. 1 Ohio State, shutting down future Hall of Famer John Havlicek.

Ohio State notes

Ohio State has made at least one three-point field goal in 393 consecutive games. The last time the Buckeyes failed to make a three-pointer was on March 2, 2014, when they were 0-for-11 in a 72-64 loss at Indiana.

The Buckeyes have played four one-point games already this season. They beat Notre Dame 64-63, fell at Pitt 67-66, topped West Virginia 89-88 in double overtime and then dropped a heart-breaker to No. 12 North Carolina 71-70. Over the last five seasons, the Buckeyes have played nine one-point games and seven of those have come under current head coach Jake Diebler (3-4).

Over the last four games, Mobley is averaging 25.3 points and 3.0 assists while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 46.5 percent from long range.

Ohio State senior center Christoph Tilly has 46 assists so far, which is the most by a Buckeye big man since Kaleb Wesson had 60 assists in the 2019-20 season.

Prediction

Wisconsin is going to shoot a bunch more threes by the time they have to hang up its sneakers but prolonging that timeframe will depend more on how the Badgers play defense and produce in the paint to have consistent success.

That mode will be tested against the Buckeyes, a big bodied team that averages 82.2 points per game and has three players averaging more than five rebounds per game. UW has to be willing to be aggressive and attack the paint, something they haven't done well in games against bigger frontcourts or in games where the perimeter shot isn't falling.

UW will give Winter heavy minutes in the frontcourt, but the question mark is of the three forwards behind him. Aleksas Bieliauskas missed the second half against Minnesota Wednesday with an ankle injury, but UW associated head coach Joe Krabbenhoft said the freshman forward practiced Thursday. UW has seen some development from forward Austin Rapp and center Will Garlock, but Rapp isn't known yet to be someone who mixes things up in the low post, while Garlock didn't play against the Gophers.

The key for Wisconsin is Boyd and Blackwell pushing the tempo. Ohio State plays at a slower pace and has played more zone defense this season. Getting the ball in transition is a key for the Badgers to pick holes in the Buckeyes defense.

The computer rankings above show they are one spot apart in the KenPom.com rankings and six spots separate them in the NET rankings, meaning this game should be a tight battle.

If UW can hit some open shots (which has been hit and miss over the last week) and not let Thornton and Mobley get comfortable, the Badgers will head into their bye week with a well-deserved triumph.

Prediction: Wisconsin by 6
Worgull's Prediction: 17-4 (11-10 ATS)
Points off Prediction: 229 (10.9 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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