The Wisconsin Badgers (16-9) travel to East Lansing, Michigan to face Big Ten rival Michigan State (21-5) on Thursday night. The Spartans bounced back after a one-point loss to Purdue last week with a dominating performance over Indiana, and head coach Tom Izzo will look for his squad to keep the momentum rolling in Thursday's conference matchup. Wisconsin interim head coach Greg Gard currently has the Badgers on a seven game win streak, and is looking for his team to pick up their second win over a nationally ranked Spartans team.
The Badgers are led by upperclassmen Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig, as the two juniors lead the team in scoring. Hayes is the Badgers leading scorer and is averaging 17.1 points and 3.3 assists per game. The Badgers forward is listed at 6-foot-8, and is strong on the boards averaging 5.8 rebounds per game. While Hayes is the leading scorer for the Badgers, Koenig is the leader on the court.
The junior guard averages 13.4 points and 2.3 assists per game for Wisconsin, and can control the pace of their offense. While the Badgers have upperclassmen leadership, freshman forward Ethan Happ has made his presence felt his first year in Big Ten basketball. The Badgers freshman forward is averaging 11.6 points and eight rebounds per game, and will have to be effective on the glass if Wisconsin wants to pull out an upset on the road.
It will be a tall task for Gard and the Badgers in East Lansing, as the eighth ranked Spartans are one of the best teams in the country. The Spartans have struggled in conference play this season with an 8-5 record, and Izzo is looking for his team to pick it up down the stretch after a big win over Big Ten conference leader Indiana.
Senior guard Denzel Valentine is the leader on the court for the Spartans squad, and is averaging a team-high 19.5 points per game. Valentine makes plays on both sides of the court, and has no problem fighting for a loose ball. The Spartans guard is averaging 7.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game, and does whatever is necessary to help his team get the win.
Spartans senior forward Matt Costello is another impact player to watch on Michigan State's roster, and is coming off a double-double performance in which he scored 22 points and grabbed 11 boards over Indiana. Costello's presence in the paint is a huge factor for the Spartans offense, and will look to dominate the glass on both ends of the court against the Badgers.
Where To Watch: ESPN at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time.
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