Wisconsin hosts Indiana in Big Ten Showdown

The Wisconsin Badgers and Indiana Hoosiers find themselves falling quickly out of the top-25, but they have got to this point in tow totally different ways. The Badgers were expected to contend for a Big Ten title as they were listed as the 15th ranked team in the country prior to the start of the season. Indiana on the other hand got off to a phenomenal 12-0 start, including a win over #1 Kentucky to sky-rocket up the rankings. However, both teams have gone through tough a tough stretch over their last 7 games, and are now a loss or two from dropping out of the AP top-25.

NCAA basketball experts still feel strongly about Wisky’s ability to compete at a high level throughout the remainder of the season, but the jury on the Hoosiers is still out. It’s been the way the Hoosiers are winning that’s more surprising then the fact that they are. At nearly 80 points per game this offense is exceeding expectations by an alarming rate. The addition of freshman Cody Zeller has not only made Indiana a legitimate threat offensively, but has made them a national powerhouse overnight. Zeller is a serious threat in the paint, and has shown the ability to score from away the basket as well. This season may be a culmination of several pieces coming together, but Zeller is certainly the sparkplug that makes this offense run.

The old Hoosiers philosophy of winning was attributed to solid defense and being selective with their shots. This team isn’t as attentive on the defensive end of the floor, but they are shooting 50% as a team offensively. Wisconsin will more than likely lower that shooting percentage before Thursday mights game is over, but they will need to improve their offense if they are to pull out the much needed win at home.

Wisconsin’s statistics are well below average across the board offensively, but those numbers are skewed due to the slow pace of play that they use. There’s no question that they possess one of the most potent defenses in college basketball, but they are lacking scorers offensively. Guard Jordan Taylor leads the Badgers in scoring with a 14 point per game average, but he has a meager .396 shooting percentage from the field. Wisconsin will need to hold Indiana well below their season average in scoring as well as exceed their average in order to win this one. College basketball handicappers have the Badgers listed as 7 point favorites at home, and the over/under of 126.5 indicates that they believe Wisky will set the pace of play. Tune in Thursday night as two of the best teams in the Big Ten and the country square off in what should be a very competitive battle.

 

Related posts:

1. Big Ten Battle: Indiana hosts Michigan
2. Big Ten Battle: Wisconsin hosts Michigan St
3. Big Ten Top-25 Battle: Purdue vs. Wisconsin
4. Big Ten Match-Up: Wisconsin Badgers @ Purdue Boilermakers
5. Big-10 Basketball: #5 Michigan St Spartans v. #16 Wisconsin Badgers

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