The Wisconsin Badgers (19-10, 11-5) head to Minnesota (8-20, 2-14) on Wednesday night (8:00 PM – Big Ten Network) looking to win their 11th game out of their last 12.

Richard Pitino has suspended three players (Nate Mason, Dupree McBrayer, and Kevin Dorsey) for the rest of the season after an explicit video was posted on social media.

Wisconsin, after starting the Big Ten season 1-4, has crawled all the way back up to second in the conference at this point. Minnesota sits currently at 13th in the conference. With the win, Wisconsin will clinch its 15th straight season of finishing in the top four in the Big Ten.

Projected Starters

Badgers Projected Starters

G: Bronson Koenig (14.7 PPG, 2.3 APG)
G: Zak Showalter (7.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG)
F: Nigel Hayes (16.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.2 APG)
F: Vitto Brown (9.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG)
F: Ethan Happ (11.9 PPG, 7.8 RPG)

Gophers Projected Starters

G: Stephon Sharp (19 points in last game)
G: Ahmad Gilbert (6 points and 4 assists in last game)
F: Jordan Murphy (11.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG)
F: Charles Buggs (5.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG)
C: Bakary Konat (4.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG)

Outlook

Richard Pitino’s team is inconsistent, but talented. They have shown the potential to knock off a top team with their win on February 18th at “The Barn” against Maryland, 68-63. They also played Iowa to the wire, so the Badgers have to come into the game ready to play, which they always will.

Nate Mason, one of the suspended Gophers, is the Gophers offensive catalyst, averaging 14.8 PPG and 4.5 APG. Without his production, the Gophers will look to Stephon Sharp who started in his place last game to the tune of 19 points.

Freshman Jordan Murphy is averaging 11.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG, which is a startling resemblance to Ethan Happ, even though Murphy is three inches shorter. Murphy is solid on the offensive glass, averaging almost three offensive boards per game.

Off the bench, the Gophers have three key reserves in terms of scoring production. Senior Joey King plays 30 minutes off the bench, scoring 11.8 PPG and shooting 41.5% from the field. Fellow senior Carlos Morris averages 9.8 PPG and 3.7 RPG. Freshman guard Kevin Dorsey, the main player being investigated, averages 6.8 PPG.

The Badgers will look to attack Joey King, Charles Buggs, and Barkay Donate, who are all big men for the Gophers and below average defenders. This fares well for the Badgers, who should be be able to get favorable matchups for Nigel Hayes, Vitto Brown, and Ethan Happ.

With two of the suspended players being Minnesota’s starting guards, Bronson Koenig and the rest of Wisconsin’s guards will also look to attack the rim, which Koenig especially has been doing well during his consistent play in the last three weeks. Koenig and Showalter are two of the most experienced Badgers, and they should exploit Minnesota’s young, inexperienced guards who struggled against Illinois in extended minutes

Alex Illikainen will be returning home for the first time in his college career to Minnesota. Jordan Smith is the only other Wisconsin from the Gopher State.

Bottom Line

The Gophers have more talent than most 8-20 teams, but this is a must-win for the Badgers. Even with the the Gophers’ record, it’s not a game that Wisconsin can take for granted, and the team knows that. Wisconsin is going to make the NCAA Tournament, but now it’s about getting the best seed in the Big Ten Tournament and preparing for Purdue on Sunday.