The Wisconsin Badgers resume Big Ten Conference play by hosting the No. 5 Purdue Boilermakers at the Kohl Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM on FOX this Saturday, January 3. Purdue enters as a 5.5-point favorite.
Despite shooting just 4-of-22 from three-point range, the Badgers defeated UW-Milwaukee 80-60 on December 30. Nick Boyd scored 16 points, and Nolan Winter added 14. Wisconsin held the Panthers to 33 percent shooting from the field.
What should Badger fans know about the Purdue Boilermakers?
Opponent Preview
Matt Painter’s team opened the season ranked number one nationally and has maintained strong form. The Boilermakers enter January with a 12-1 record, including conference wins over Rutgers and Minnesota. Their only loss was an 81-58 defeat at home to then-No. 10 Iowa State on December 6. It was the largest non-conference loss by a number-one-ranked team at home in AP Poll history.
Since the loss to Iowa State, Purdue has won four straight games, including an 88-60 victory over then-no. 21 Auburn on December 20. In their final game of 2025, the Boilermakers defeated Kent State 101-60, with freshman Jack Benter shooting 7-for-7 and scoring a career-high 20 points.
Purdue enters this game with one of the most efficient offenses in the nation. The Boilermakers rank no. 1 in KenPom’s adjective offensive efficiency. Braden Smith, the reigning Bob Cousy Award winner and Big Ten Player of the Year, is the top playmaker for the Boilermakers. He leads the Big Ten with 9.5 assists per game and, with 881 career assists, is poised to surpass Cassius Winston for the conference’s all-time record.
Fletcher Loyer and C.J. Cox round out the backcourt. Loyer is tied for the team lead with 14.0 points per game and shoots 40.7 percent from three-point range. Cox leads the team with a 41.9 percent three-point percentage.
Forwards Trey Kauffman-Renn and Oscar Cluff are among the Big Ten’s top rebounders. Kauffman-Renn, who also averages 14.0 points per game, ranks third in the Big Ten with 10.2 rebounds per game. Cluff, one of the most sought-after transfers last offseason, is sixth in the conference with 8.6 rebounds per game.
Score Prediction
For Wisconsin to upset Purdue, three factors are critical. The Badgers must improve their three-point shooting to match Purdue, which leads the Big Ten at 39.9 percent. They also need to match Purdue’s physicality in the paint and disrupt Braden Smith’s playmaking.
The atmosphere in Madison should be excellent, and Wisconsin is likely to improve its three-point shooting. However, it will be difficult for the Badgers to keep pace with Smith, Kauffman-Renn, and Cluff for the entire game.
Prediction: Purdue 78-70.
