Badger of Honor
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Wisconsin Basketball: Breaking down every game on the schedule

By Tanner Nestle

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates their 61-54 overtime win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in an NCAA college basketball game at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Ethan Happ #22 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates their 61-54 overtime win over the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in an NCAA college basketball game at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans reacts during the first half against the Syracuse Orange in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 18, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

At Michigan

This is one of if not the toughest games on the Badgers schedule for the 2018-19 season and the start of three straight nationally televised games. Despite losing quite a bit of offensive firepower from the last season, Michigan returns a lot of solid defensive-minded players.

The Badgers made a conscious effort to feed Ethan Happ last year against the Wolverines. He attempted 23 of the teams 55 shots from the floor and half of the team’s free throw attempts and posted a solid stat line of 29 points and seven rebounds. Wisconsin is 19-54 playing on the road against the Wolverines and I don’t believe that the Badgers will improve that record this game. Wisconsin loses.

Related Story. Cassius Winston is one of the top 5 players in the Big Ten. light

Michigan State

Despite losing all three contests against the Spartans a year ago, two of Wisconsin’s finest games from last season came against Michigan State. They lost the last two games by a combined 8 points while Michigan State was ranked #2 in the nation. Michigan State lost its two best players to the NBA but still return a lot of talent. Cassius Winston, Josh Langford and Nick Ward who all averaged double-digit points last season will lead the Spartans this year.

Michigan State also had the No. 17 recruiting class in the country this year and will have a lot of young talent coming off the bench and should be rolling coming down the stretch of Big Ten play. Wisconsin has the talent to hang with the best of the Big Ten and this game will be a catapult for the last leg of the season. The Kohl Center will be rocking all night long and the home atmosphere will be a huge benefit for the Badgers. Wisconsin Wins.

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