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Big Ten Basketball: 2018-19 key storylines for Michigan at Wisconsin

By Drew Dinnhaupt

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: Happ (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 02: Happ (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 06: Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates a second half basket with Charles Matthews #1 while playing the Indiana Hoosiers at Crisler Arena on January 06, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 74-63. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN – JANUARY 06: Jordan Poole #2 of the Michigan Wolverines celebrates a second half basket with Charles Matthews #1 while playing the Indiana Hoosiers at Crisler Arena on January 06, 2019 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan won the game 74-63. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Michigan takes on Wisconsin in a Big Ten Basketball battle. Can the second-ranked Wolverines scrape out a W in one of the toughest environments in the country?

There aren’t many more storied Big Ten basketball rivalries than Michigan-Wisconsin.

Saturday will mark the 123rd meeting between the pair of schools separated by Lake Michigan. The Wolverines own the all-time record, with 69 wins since the two first met in 1950; they have won the past three meetings as well. John Beilein’s squad won the lone matchup last season, 83-72.

The Wolverines have opened up their 2018-19 season with the best start in school history at 17-0 while the struggling Badgers sit at a rather disappointing 11-6 entering Saturday.

Michigan’s success can be credited to freshman sensation Ignas Brazdeikis. The 6-7 wing posts a team-leading 15.6 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds per night. Senior guard Charles Matthews has been a big-time scoring threat as well, as the Chicago native averages 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds a game. The Wolverines have four other players (Jordan Poole, Zavier Simpson, Jon Teske, and Isaiah Livers) averaging north of 8 points per game, too.

Wisconsin is led by Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Ethan Happ, who posts 19.4 points (second in Big Ten), 10.4 rebounds (second in Big Ten) and 4.6 assists (third in Big Ten) per game. However, the team has plenty of success outside of the do-it-all senior. Sophomores D’Mitrik Trice (14.4 points per game) and Brad Davison (10.5 points per game) combine for one of the better scoring backcourts in the nation. Wisconsin gets help from several contributors off the bench as well, as eight Badgers play 14 or more minutes per game.

Here’s what to look for in one of the most intriguing Big Ten games the conference could offer:

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