5. FIGHTING ILLINI REMATCH
Tuesday’s upcoming game will be again the Illinois Fighting Illini, the second time the two teams face off this season. Wisconsin last played Illinois on the road in December, where the Badgers lost, 86-80. UW was outrebounded in the game, 40-29, and had an uncharacteristic shooting performance at the free throw line, shooting a season low 66.7% on 21 attempts.
A bright spot for Wisconsin was Nolan Winter, who scored a then-career-high 15 points in the game. Winter led the team in points and in rebounds with seven. John Tonje, Max Klesmit, and John Blackwell all put in double-digit scoring performances as well.
Since facing the Badgers on December 10, the Illini have struggled to find consistency, going 10-7 in that stretch, with a 5-6 mark in their last 11 games. Most recently the team lost to No. 11 Michigan State where, after leading 65-64 in the second half, the Illini were outscored 15-0 in the final eight minutes, allowing the Spartans to take a, 79-65 victory. The team is still led by its freshman guard, Kaspara Jakucionis, who is averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game.
