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No. 6 Wisconsin visits Michigan Saturday
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Published: 1/24/2015  at  5:10:00 AM
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WISCONSIN BADGERS (17-2)

at MICHIGAN WOLVERINES (12-7)

Crisler Center - Ann Arbor, MI
Tip-off: Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET
Line: TBD

No. 6 Wisconsin looks for a big road victory on Saturday against a Michigan team that is without its top scorer, Caris LeVert.

Wisconsin (11-7 ATS, 11-8 UNDER) has got things back on track since losing to Rutgers, and the Badgers will be going up against a team that they split the season series a year ago. Both games went to the road team, as Bo Ryan’s club won by 13 points in Ann Arbor. The Badgers have been off since a 32-point victory against Iowa on Tuesday, and they have been very good with that extended break this season at 6-3-1 ATS with at least three days' rest. It has been a down season for the Wolverines (6-11 ATS, 11-5 UNDER), but the team has shown some life with a 5-2 start in the Big Ten. While Michigan has not played the best teams in the conference yet, getting some wins has been huge for a squad that was really struggling with confidence. The Wolverines played the same day as Wisconsin, but have not been nearly as good with at least three days off (3-5 ATS). For a team that appears to be gaining some momentum, the layoff could hurt against a Wisconsin club coming off one of the most dominating performances of the college basketball season.

Can the Badgers win comfortably in a tough environment on Saturday night? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The experts have been heating up since Dec. 23, combining for a 58% ATS mark (65-48) in college basketball Best Bets. StatFox Gary is 70% ATS (16-7) during this timeframe to improve to 64% ATS (34-19) for the season. StatFox Brian is 67% ATS (12-6) in Best Bets since Dec. 28 to put him at 56% ATS (29-23) this season, while StatFox Zach is on a 60% ATS (9-6) Best Bets run since Jan. 1 and has a solid 55% ATS mark (29-24) this season. StatFox Scott is a strong 59% ATS (13-9) in Best Bets since Dec. 23.

In the win against Iowa, the most impressive stat was the fact that Wisconsin only turned the ball over one time. That turnover was on a shot-clock violation, so Bo Ryan’s squad clearly does an excellent job of not allowing their opponents to get out and run. The Badgers have been extremely efficient on the offensive end of the court, entering Friday's action ranked 14th in shooting (49.0% FG), 48th in scoring (73.8 PPG), 161st in assists (12.9 APG) and also 201st in rebounding (34.4 RPG). Leading the way for the Badgers is All-American candidate C Frank Kaminsky (16.9 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 40% threes), who is one of the most talented big men in college basketball. At 7-foot, 234 pounds he does a lot of his damage on the perimeter, but he can also take most players on the block. Wisconsin does a great job of finding the mismatch in the post, spotting guys like SF Sam Dekker (12.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.2 APG) and PF Nigel Hayes (12.5 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.9 APG) when they are being defended by opposing teams’ smaller players. Dekker has continued to improve his offensive game, and much more aggressive in getting to the rim. Wisconsin does a great job of shooting the ball from deep (36% threes), with SG Josh Gasser (7.2 PPG, 2.7 APG, 40% threes) leading the way. On defense, the Badgers are one of the best teams in the country, ranking fifth in points allowed (54.6 PPG). Against a Michigan team that has struggled to score, the Wisconsin defense could have another big performance.

It is has been a struggle for the Wolverines this season, and it has gotten even more difficult with SG Caris LeVert missing the remainder of the season due to an injury. Michigan ranks 201st in the nation in assists (12.4 APG), 241st in scoring (64.9 PPG), 279th in shooting (41.1 %) and 302nd in rebounding (31.8 RPG) entering Friday's action. SG Zak Irvin (13.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 3.7 APG) had really shown promise as a role player, but with LeVert’s injury, he now has become the focal point of the Michigan offense. He can shoot the ball well from the three-point line (36% threes), but he needs to improve on his ability to finish at the rim in order to make himself even more difficult to guard. PG Derrick Walton Jr. (10.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.1 APG) has had a solid sophomore campaign, but has not taken it to the next level like he was expected to by the team. He has, however, done a nice job of not turning the ball over (1.7 TOPG), which has allowed the Wolverines to get into their offense. The rebounding has been the biggest struggle for Michigan, in large part because of its inability to get production from the frontcourt. The school's top three rebounders are guards (LeVert being one of them), with the point guard Walton Jr. leading the team. Freshman PF Ricky Doyle (6.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 67 % FG) has some skills similar to former Wolverines PF Mitch McGary, but Doyle is still raw and learning the Michigan system.


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