The Matchup: Wisconsin (6-4, 0-0) vs. Marquette (7-2, 0-0)
When: Sat. Dec 12; 12:30p.m. CT
Where: Madison, Wis.; Kohl Center (17,287)
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Badgers Sports Network
Last Meeting: Wisconsin won, 49-38 (Dec. 6, 2014)
All-Time Series: Wisconsin leads, 66-55

Starting Lineups:

Marquette Golden Eagles

G Traci Carter Fr. 6-0, 175 (6.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.4 apg)
G Haanif Cheatham Fr. 6-5, 190 (10.1 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.6 apg)
G/F Sandy Cohen So. 6-6, 200 (9.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.3 apg)
F Henry Ellenson Fr. 6-11, 245 (16.7 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)
F/C Luke Fischer Jr. 6-11, 245 (14.6 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 0.9 apg)

Wisconsin Badgers

G Bronson Koenig — Jr. 6-4, 193 (15.8 pgg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg)
G Zak Showalter — Jr. 6-2, 180 (7.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.6 apg)
F Vitto Brown — Jr. 6-8, 230 (9.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.5 apg)
F Nigel Hayes — Jr. 6-8, 240 (16.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.9 apg)
F Ethan Happ — Fr. 6-9, 235 (10.7 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.2 apg)

Biggest Matchup: Freshmen vs. Freshmen

Most teams that Wisconsin will match up with this season will have the experience advantage. However, Saturday’s I-94 rivalry game isn’t one of them and that means this one could be a very intriguing and entertaining game. It also could be U-G-L-Y to the casual viewer as well, such is the nature of youth in the game of college basketball.

That said, Wisconsin’s freshmen contingent outside of Ethan Happ needs to step it up in a major way for the Badgers to be successful in this one. Charlie Thomas and Khalil Iverson have been almost non-factors as of late and the bench points have dwindled down to next to nothing. Wisconsin can’t have that if it is going to win this one, as Marquette can throw waves at a team off the bench.

It’s freshman contingent is also impressive by the numbers, with two of them (Ellenson and Cheatham) averaging double figures. Should the Badgers win the battle of the freshmen, it would bode well for their chances at an overall victory in this statement game.

3 Numbers to Know:

— 15, 6, 3: Junior forward Nigel Hayes is just one of two players in the Big Ten to average at least 15 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists on the season. That makes him a vital component to victory no matter the situation. Winning with Hayes struggling to get involved on the boards or passing or scoring is a tall order.

— 12: Not only is the Badgers vs. Marquette one of the top rivalry games in college basketball because of the proximity, it also is one of the best because it usually matters a lot. In total, one of the two teams in this game has been ranked in 12 of the last 15 meetings in the I-94 rivalry game. That isn’t the case here, which makes this game a rarity.

— .899: While it has been a strange season of ups and downs, it is also good to remind folks that the Badgers own a .899 winning percentage in all games played at the Kohl Center during the Bo Ryan era. That mark is 4th in the country over that span. Sure, Western Illinois and Milwaukee upset the apple cart a bit, but winning against the Badgers in Madison has been a difficult task even in the most difficult of times during Ryan’s tenure.

Prediction: Marquette 68, Wisconsin 55

Trying to predict what the Badgers will do on a given game is almost an exercise in futility, but that’s what you are paying us for….right? Wisconsin has had its ups and downs this season, but this game presents a challenge unlike any a team has give the Badgers all season long.

Not only is Marquette tall and athletic, it has a great inside-out game that could give Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes a ton of trouble on the defensive end of the court. Like Wisconsin, Marquette can be streaky, but it has proven to be more consistent in the shooting department so far this season.

Unfortunately, the twin towers inside prove to be too much for the Badgers and the Golden whatever they are calling themselves this season’s will come away with the win at the Kohl Center.