Can the Badgers pull off the upset on the road on Saturday?
Fresh off a week-long break, the Wisconsin Badgers are heading on the road for a matchup with the No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers, with tip-off set for 12:00 p.m. at the Mackey Arena on Saturday.
Wisconsin last played a week ago, where they battled to a 74-63 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes, dominating the second half to earn a hard-fought win.
John Tonje led the way with his aggressiveness in the second half, finishing with 22 points, thanks to 9/10 from the free-throw line, while Wisconsin held Iowa to their lowest scoring total of the entire season in a strong defensive performance.
Now, the Badgers enter a matchup against a Purdue Boilermakers team that has gone 19-6 on the year and 11-3 in conference play, most recently losing a close 75-73 game on the road to the Michigan Wolverines.
The Boilermakers are led by forward Trey Kaufmann-Renn, who has enjoyed a breakout season, averaging 19 points per game on 60.2 percent from the field, taking over for star center Zach Edey.
However, their starting group is well-rounded, as guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are integral parts of the offense, with the former averaging 16.4 points and dishing out 8.4 assists per game, while the latter has shot a whopping 45.1 percent from three thus far this season.
The Badgers come into Saturday as a 5.5-point underdog on the road. Will they be able to pull off the biggest win of the season? Or will Purdue bounce back and get a major win on their resume?