The Matchup: Wisconsin (2-1, 0-0) vs. Georgetown (0-2, 0-0)
When: Fri. Nov. 20; 4p.m. CT
Where: New York, New York; Madison Square Garden (19,812)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Badgers Sports Network
Last Meeting: UW won, 68-65 (Nov. 27, 2014 – Battle 4 Atlantis)
All-Time Series: Wisconsin leads 2-1
Starting Lineups:
Georgetown
G D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera — 6-3, 215, Sr. (14.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.5 apg)
G L.J. Peak — 6-5, 215, So. (9.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.5 apg)
F Marcus Derrickson — 6-7, 250, Fr. (9.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)
F Isaac Copeland — 6-9, 220, S0. (12.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.0 apg)
C Bradley Hayes — 7-0, 275, Sr. (17.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Wisconsin
G Bronson Koenig — Jr. (19.0 pgg, 4.7 rpg, 3.3 apg)
G Zak Showalter — So. (8.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)
F Vitto Brown — Jr. (13.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.3 apg)
F Nigel Hayes — Jr. (14.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.0 apg)
F Ethan Happ — Fr. (9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.3 apg)
Biggest Matchup: Marcus Derrickson vs. Vitto Brown
No player on the Badgers starting roster has flown under the radar more than junior Vitto Brown has. Yet, he is third on the team in scoring and has opened a ton of eyes with his sudden rise on the offensive end of the court. He’ll be getting a major challenge in this contest from the athletic freshman, Marcus Derrickson, who has a healthy wingspan and is adept at pushing offensive players away from the basket.
Brown will likely draw the task of contending with him on the defensive end as well. He’s been an integral part of the Badgers’ defensive effort, tying for the team lead in rebounds per game (5.7) and is tied for second in blocks (2). He’ll have a battle on his hands on both ends of the court, but the Badgers badly need him to win it if they are going to win this matchup.
3 Numbers to Know:
— 6: That is the number of points Georgetown has lost by in total over its two-game losing streak to open the 2015-16 season. Georgetown lost 82-80 to Radford in overtime at home to open the season and dropped a four-point contest to Maryland in the Gavitt Games earlier this week.
— 37-8: Everyone wants to tout how difficult Wisconsin has been at the Kohl Center, and it is true, it has been equally difficult to beat away from the Kohl Center as well. UW is 37-8 over the past two seasons and was 21-3 away from home last season alone. With this young version of the Badgers playing away from home for the first time this season, let’s see if they can keep up that tradition.
—1: Wisconsin has played in 10 November tournaments in the Bo Ryan era, and it has finished with a below .500 record in just one of them. In total, Wisconsin has finished .500 or worse in just three of those 10 tournaments overall.
Prediction: Wisconsin 79, Georgetown 74
Don’t be surprised if this game is a struggle for the Badgers, as Georgetown’s length is a major problem for UW to contend with. Simply put, the Hoyas have the advantage in the athletic ability area and could exploit that on the boards. If Wisconsin wins that battle, look for a much larger margin of victory.
However, look for this game to be the one that sees Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig simply take over in. It really hasn’t happened much, with a lot of that because of Hayes’ shooting struggles. He breaks out of that funk in the second half and Wisconsin pulls away late.
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