North Cook News

Wildcats Welcome Wisconsin to Welsh-Ryan Arena

 Northwestern will play its first game in a week when it hosts Wisconsin at 5:30 p.m. CT inside Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday, Jan. 23. The game will be broadcast on BTN by Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) and on WGN Radio 720 by Dave Eanet (play-by-play) and Billy McKinney (analyst).

Northwestern's 12-5 record is its best record through a season's first 17 games since starting the 2016-17 season 13-4. The Wildcats will be looking to defeat Wisconsin for the first time since 2018.

Last time out, the Wildcats (12-5, 3-3 B1G) fell 85-78 on the road at Michigan last Saturday. The Wolverines jumped out to a 12-point lead with 10:11 remaining in the first half, before Northwestern closed the half strong to take a 39-37 lead into the break. UM again jumped out to an early lead in the half, and despite cutting the lead to five in the final two minutes, Northwestern could not complete the comeback. Boo Buie led the Wildcats with 22 points and five assists, and Big Ten Steals leader Chase Audige added five thefts to bring his league-leading average to 2.9 per game. Robbie Beran (16), Matthew Nicholson (13) and Brooks Barnhizer (10) also scored in double-figures.

Northwestern's owes its success this season in large part to the defensive end of the floor. The Wildcats rank 15th nationally in Defensive Efficiency per KenPom. Northwestern ranks second in the country in opponent field goal percentage on 2-point attempts (41.5%). Northwestern has turned its opponent over 10+ times in every game this season. The 'Cats rank 20th nationally and second in the Big Ten holding opponents to an average of 60.8 points per game.

Audige is having a monster year for the Wildcats, leading the team in points per game (15.3) and steals per game (2.9). He leads the Big Ten in steals and ranks third nationally. Audige joins Jalen Pickett (Penn State) and Terrance Shannon Jr. (Illinois) as the only three players in the Big Ten to lead their team in points per game and steals per game. Audige's 128 steals in a Northwestern uniform rank ninth all-time in school history, just one behind Jeremy Nash's 129 for ninth eighth on the Wildcats' all-time steals leaderboard.

Wisconsin enters the contest sitting at 12-5 and 4-3 in Big Ten play. Last Tuesday, the Badgers defeated Penn State 63-60 in Madison behind 21 points from Steven Crowl. The Badgers are led in points per game by Crowl (12.9), Tyler Wahl (12.9), and Chucky Hepburn (12.7). Wisconsin's roster features Junior Guard Justin Taphorn, the younger brother of former-Northwestern player Nate Taphorn.

UW leads the all-time series against Northwestern, 120-69. This will be the 190th meeting between the two programs, the most often played opponent in NU history. The Badgers have won the last seven meetings, the Wildcats last won 60-52 in Madison on Feb. 1, 2018.

The Wildcats will continue Big Ten play at Nebraska on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 6 p.m. CT on FS2. 

Original source can be found here