After capturing their first Big Ten victory against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Sunday afternoon, Marisa Moseley’s University of Wisconsin squad (4-12, 1-5 Big Ten) tip off against the eighth-ranked Michigan Wolverines (15-2, 6-1) in Ann Arbor Jan. 20.
The two last met Dec. 9, with the Wolverines edging out Madison’s team in a high-scoring bout 93–81. With an 0-10 record in their last ten games since 2016, the Badgers aim to contain the 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year, Naz Hillmon, on the road Thursday night.
Anchored by Kim Barnes Arico, who led four NCAA tournament teams and the 2017 WNIT Championship squad, the Maize and Blue manage 72.5 points, shoot 45.3% from the field, snatch 39.5 boards and chalk up 18.8 points off turnovers per game. With three top-10 victories in 17 contests, the Wolverines boast a +13.6 scoring margin as well.
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At the opposite end of the court, UW achieves 58.9 points per outing off 40.1% from the field and 30.1% from behind-the-arc, nearly a five percentage-point increase from the mid-December clash. The Cardinal and White force 7.4 steals, chalk up 11.2 points off turnovers and grab 30.6 rebounds — the seventh-worst rebounding average of 348 qualified programs in the country. But with only 14.8 giveaways per game, the Badgers land in the top third for the fewest turnovers per game in the nation.
Following Sunday’s game vs. Rutgers, Wisconsin junior Sydney Hilliard maintained her top spot among all guards in the country with an impressive 56.2% split from the floor. The Monroe native accounts for 13 points, 4.7 boards and 1.9 swipes in 33.2 minutes of action each time out. Through 35.9 minutes per game over 14 appearances, junior Julie Pospíšilová puts up 14.6 tallies, 3.9 rebounds, 3.3 dimes and 1.6 steals per game. With 607 total minutes logged this season, the seventh-most of any student-athlete in Division I basketball, point guard Katie Nelson leads Wisconsin with 52 assists and a 37% clip from outside. Forward Sara Stapleton registers 7.6 scores off nearly a block per game.
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Wolverine names to monitor:
Senior Naz Hillmon, the 2021 Michigan Female Athlete of the Year and three-time All-Big Ten first team member, notches 19.4 points and 8.4 boards over 32.8 minutes per match. The 6-foot-2-inch forward from Cleveland, Ohio, ranks 30th out of 250 qualified student-athletes in field-goal percentage at 55.8% efficiency from the floor, so Stapleton and Brooke Schramek will need to monitor hand checking and unnecessary fouls against the skilled post player down low.
Responsible for a team-best 39 3-pointers and 22 swipes, junior guard Maddie Nolan racks up 9.3 tallies off 47.6% from deep — the sixth-highest mark in the NCAA — and pulls down four rebounds per contest. Alongside Hillmon and Nolan, Leigha Brown adds 15.4 points and 3.4 rebounds each time out. The junior guard leads the Wolverines with 45 assists through 14 games as well.
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Though Moseley’s Badgers fell to the Maize and Blue in early December, UW still posted a season-high 81 points. The Wolverines turn it over 16.1 times each game — a 1.3 giveaway disparity compared to Madison’s team. If Wisconsin plays with high intensity and effort on the defensive end, the Cardinal and White could earn a few extra possessions and frustrate the Wolverines Thursday evening.
