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Preview: Wisconsin at Green Bay
Wisconsin makes a rare visit to Green Bay and the No. 19 Badgers will attempt to stave off an upset bid by the Phoenix on Saturday. Green Bay is hosting Wisconsin for only the fourth time ever and it didn’t go well for the Badgers the last time they visited, falling 88-84 in overtime on Dec. 9, 2009. The Badgers are 18-1 against the Phoenix, who haven’t defeated a ranked foe since the aforementioned upset of Wisconsin.
The Badgers already have two impressive victories under their belts, beating St. John’s in their opener and then posting a 59-53 win over No. 10 Florida on Tuesday. “We’re a good team playing against other good teams,” forward Sam Dekker said after a 16-point performance against the Gators. “We’ll learn a lot from these games.” Green Bay rolled to a 71-49 victory over Northern Michigan in its opener.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, WISC (Wisconsin), TWC Sports Channel (Green Bay), ESPN3
ABOUT WISCONSIN (2-0): Dekker is stepping up as a go-to play and his rising reputation led to him being named as one of 50 players on the John R. Wooden Award watch list earlier this week. “It’s an honor to be on that list,” said Dekker, who is averaging a team-high 16 points. “It’s cool. But I’ve got a lot of work to do and our team has a lot of work to do. I don’t think I’ve really showed anything.”
ABOUT GREEN BAY (1-0): The Phoenix boast one of the more prolific big men in the country in 7-1 senior Alec Brown. A second-time All-Horizon League selection last season, Brown is the only active player in the nation with more than 1,200 career points, 600 rebounds and 200 blocks. Brown had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the season-opening victory, a contest in which senior guard Vincent Garrett scored a team-best 15 points.
TIP-INS
1. Wisconsin posted a 65-54 home win over the Phoenix last season.
2. Green Bay is 35-9 at home under fourth-year coach Brian Wardle.
3. The Badgers are 20-of-43 from 3-point range through two games.
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 59, Green Bay 58
