The Wisconsin Badgers look to make it six Big Ten wins in a row as they take on the USC Trojans. Tip-off is Sunday at 3:00 PM on Peacock, and the Badgers are 7.5-point home favorites.
Wisconsin is coming
off its most complete performance in Big Ten play, as it pummeled the Penn State Nittany Lions 98-71 last Thursday. It was a complete team effort by all Badgers, as Wisconsin dominated behind the three-point line and down low in the paint. Super sub Braeden Carrington led the Badgers with 17 points, including 12 points from three-point territory.
What should Badger fans know about the USC Trojans?
Opponent Preview
Eric Musselman’s USC squad enters this game with an impressive 14-5 record, but the Trojans lost those five games in conference play. USC enters Sunday’s game having lost four of its last six games, including an embarrassing 74-68 loss to Northwestern at home last Wednesday.
The Trojans have had to overcome a season-ending injury to leading scorer Rodney Rice, who had 20.3 points per game in six games. The main man to watch for USC is Auburn transfer Chad Baker-Mazara with 18.6 points and a team-leading 3.2 assists per game. Baker-Mazara has been in double figures in scoring in all but two of the Trojans’ games this season, including a 29-point performance against Minnesota back on January 9th.
Making his debut in the starting lineup for the Trojans against Northwestern was five-star freshman, and son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, Alijah Arenas. Arenas, who underwent knee surgery after sustaining ligament damage in a car crash last summer, scored eight points on 3-of-15 shots from the floor. Kam Woods, a graduate student who signed with the Trojans last month, averages 2.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
Forwards Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie lead USC’s frontcourt. Ausar is third in scoring (16.2 points per game) and second in rebounding (5.9 rebounds per game). Cofie leads the team in blocks (1.7), steals (1.1), and rebounds (7.1).
Score Prediction
This Badgers team is playing good basketball right now and is on the cusp of returning to the top-25 rankings. For them to do that, they must get off to a quick start against USC. This Trojan team currently has effort issues, so burying them right away will at least slightly diminish their confidence.
If the Badgers play a strong 40 minutes as they did against Penn State, against a USC defense that allows 75.7 points per game, then they will be just fine.
Prediction: Wisconsin 85-75
