Here’s what ESPN has to say about this Sunday afternoon matchup:
A return to Madison to take on a team they’ve dominated at the Kohl Center may be exactly what Wisconsin needs following a tough road loss.
Looking to bounce back after their Big Ten title hopes took a sever hit, the 14th-ranked Badgers seek their 12th straight win at home over Northwestern on Sunday.
With four games remaining, Wisconsin has fallen two games out of first place in the crowded Big Ten standings. Even the return of Jon Leuer this week wasn’t enough as it suffered its second loss in three games, dropping a 68-52 decision Thursday at Minnesota.
The Badgers shot a season-low 30.5 percent and went almost eight minutes without scoring in the second half. They also were outrebounded 41-28, giving up 14 offensive boards.
“We had a crappy week of practice, and it was all my fault,” said Trevon Hughes, who led Wisconsin with 19 points. “I was being a goofball in practice all week and that’s unacceptable.”
Leuer, who missed nine games with a broken wrist, played for the first time since Jan. 9, coming off the bench to score four points. He shot 2-of-12 from the floor, missing his first six shots.
“He’ll find his mark,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “That wasn’t Jon’s fault or anything that Jon wasn’t trying to do. He’s still a good player. He still means a lot to us.”
Leuer and the Badgers will try to recover at the Kohl Center, where they are 14-1 this season. In their six conference home victories, Wisconsin has won by an average of 14.8 points.
The Badgers haven’t lost consecutive games this season — the only Big Ten team yet to do so — and that streak figures to continue Sunday.
Wisconsin, which is holding opponents to 53.6 points per game in Madison, has been stifling Northwestern at the Kohl Center since it opened. The Badgers have won 11 in a row at home over the Wildcats since an 82-71 loss at the Field House in 1996. In the 11 wins since, Northwestern has averaged 47.2 points and shot 36.9 percent.
Leuer did not play in Wisconsin’s 60-50 victory at Northwestern on Jan. 13, but averaged 13.5 points in two game against the Wildcats last season.
Please join Managing Editor Michael Bleach and Sports Editor Jordan Schelling as they provide unparalleled live blog coverage of all the action today from Section 208 at the Kohl Center.
