Can the Badgers get back on track with a much-needed win on Tuesday?
After a second-half meltdown against the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers remained ranked No. 11 in the AP Top 25 Poll. On Tuesday, the Badgers will take on the Washington Huskies, with tip-off scheduled for 8:00 PM on Peacock, with Wisconsin a 15.5-point favorite.
Let’s not rehash last weekend and move on, shall we? What should Wisconsin fans know about Washington?
Opponent Preview
Danny Sprinkle’s first season in Seattle has been less than stellar. The Huskies come into Madison with a 13-14 overall record and sit dead last in the Big Ten with a 4-12 conference record. Despite leading most of the game, Washington lost at Iowa, 85-79 on Saturday.
Great Osobor, who followed Sprinkle from Utah State, has been the do-it-all player for Washington. The 6’8” forward from England leads the Huskies in four categories with 15 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.
In their biggest win of the season at home against Maryland, Osobor had a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds. It will be a shock if Osobor is not on any All-Big Ten teams by season’s end.
In the backcourt is Portland transfer guard Tyler Harris, who stands at 6’ 8” and leads the Huskies with 1.1 blocks per game. Harris comes into this game as Washington’s second-leading scorer with 12.1 points per game.
Rice transfer Mekhi Mason averages 9.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Against the Hawkeyes, Mason led the Huskies with 19 points, his third straight game with double-digit scoring.
2024 McDonald’s All-American Vazoumana “Zoom” Diallo is the future leader for the Huskies, averaging 11.2 points per game as a true freshman.
Finally, center Franck Kepnang, who missed all of December with a knee injury that required surgery, averages 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
Score Prediction
Washington is not a slouch, and should they stay in Seattle, they have a bright future with Diallo, Harris, and Mason.
But right now, they are the perfect opponent for this Wisconsin team.
After their collapse against Oregon, Greg Gard and the Badgers want to take out their frustrations (in a healthy way) against an overmatched opponent. The Badgers must slow down Osobor on Tuesday night, as he’s far and away the MVP of this Washington team. If they can do that, Wisconsin will win this game by a wide margin.
I’m taking an angry and pissed-off Badgers team to win big.
Prediction: Wisconsin 89-73.