[media-credit name=’DUANE BURLESON/Associated Press’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]After falling to top-ranked Illinois Saturday, the University of Wisconsin’s men’s basketball team (16-6, 7-4 Big Ten) hopes to make it a quick turnaround as Wisconsin hosts the Michigan Wolverines (12-13, 3-8) Wednesday at the Kohl Center.

While the Badgers are looking to right the ship, the Wolverines’ ship has slowly been sinking. Michigan was manhandled at home Friday against in-state rival Michigan State, losing 64-49. The loss was the eighth consecutive defeat for the Wolverines and sent Michigan under .500 for the first time this season.

Though Michigan returns much of last season’s 23-win squad, which won the NIT Championship, head coach Tommy Amaker’s club has had to deal with a number of injuries to key offensive and defensive players. Through Friday’s game, Michigan starters have combined to miss a total of 68 games, with star players Lester Abram and Daniel Horton missing over 10 games apiece.

With Abram lost for the season with a shoulder injury and Horton suspended from the team, sophomore guard Dion Harris has stepped into the spotlight and has formed a formidable attack with forward Chris Hunter. Harris has played in 58 consecutive games over his career and has started 24 games this season for the Wolverines.

The Wolverine iron man currently leads the team with an average of 13.8 points per game and has scored in double figures in 18 of Michigan’s 25 games. In only his second season, Harris has already eclipsed the 600-point mark and has secured the starting point guard position in the Michigan backcourt.

Harris has been on a tear recently, averaging 21.5 points per game over the past two games. The Wolverine sniper presents a threat from the perimeter, with a career 3-point percentage of 32.7.

“I have seen [Dion Harris] knock down [3-point baskets],” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “We know as far as range, Harris can hit those shots. [Last time we played], I thought our post defense was pretty decent. The way we kept the perimeter fairly honest, they still had 15 points on 17 shots. For [Harris], we just have to keep trying to work him and force him into bad situations. We know what he can do.”

Amaker will also look to Hunter on the offensive end. Since recovering from a high ankle sprain and returning to the Wolverine lineup Jan. 27, Hunter has been one of the few consistent scorers in the Michigan rotation, averaging 9.0 points per game and shooting 44.6 percent in his last six games. Additionally this season, Hunter has set career highs in points scored, rebounding, assists and free throw shooting percentage. Wednesday’s contest will be the Badgers’ first look at Hunter this season, as the forward was inactive when Wisconsin faced Michigan earlier in the season.

“Hunter does a lot of good things since he’s been back,” Ryan said. “You know, it’s still about the tendencies of a team. And we’ll prepare the same way we normally do, and if someone isn’t there it really doesn’t change a lot that you do, because he’s subbed for also during the game. So you say okay, when this guy’s in the game, these are his strengths, these are his weaknesses.”

As far as Wisconsin is concerned, the Badgers will look to continue the stingy defense that has been giving their opponents fits at home. This season, Wisconsin is tops among Big Ten teams in scoring defense (60.7 points per game) and three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot only 31.2 percent from behind the arc. The Badgers have allowed only Pepperdine, Indiana and Illinois to score more than 70 points this season, losing all three games.

When the Badgers and Wolverines met Jan. 22 Mike Wilkinson had a career game, notching a double-double by leading all scores with 28 points and pulling down 15 rebounds as Wisconsin cruised to a 72-61 victory.

With Michigan battling injuries and failing to record a victory since defeating Penn State Jan. 15, Amaker and his squad look to split the season series with Wisconsin and notch a win at the Kohl Center, where they have struggled mightily. In the last four contests in Madison, Wisconsin has defeated Michigan by an average of 19.5 points. Meanwhile, Wisconsin looks to sweep Michigan in the regular season, something the Badgers have not done since 1979.