NC State Wolfpack vs. Wisconsin Badgers Preview and Predictions 11-27-2018
BY GRACENOTE
No. 22 Wisconsin looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hosts North Carolina State as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday. The Badgers won five straight games to open the campaign, including impressive back-to-back wins against Stanford and Oklahoma before dropping a 53-46 decision to fourth-ranked Virginia in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
"Any time you can play that type of competition consistently back-to-back-to-back helps expedite your development," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters. "Looking forward to getting back home and hopefully representing the Big Ten well in the challenge." North Carolina State is off to its best start in four years following a 78-74 win against Mercer in the final game of the Wolfpack Classic. The Wolfpack have lost their only two meetings with Wisconsin, including an 87-48 setback in 2010, which was the third-most lopsided game in the history of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They hope to remain unbeaten by knocking off a Big Ten team for the second straight season, following an 85-78 victory against Penn State. North Carolina State has scored 95 or more points three times this season and hopes to keep rolling as its aims for its first 7-0 start since 2004-05 while handing Kevin Keatts the 100th win of his coaching career.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (6-0): Torin Dorn scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win against Mercer to finish as the Wolfpack's leading scorer for the fifth time in six games. Junior C.J. Bryce, who transferred from UNC Wilmington and sat out last season, added 17 points to surpass 1,000 for his career while Markell Johnson drained four 3-pointers en route to 16 points as the Wolfpack held off a furious rally from the Bears in the last 10 minutes. "We just got a little stale in the second half so we've got to keep on moving forward," Dorn told reporters. "Not every game is going to be a blowout."
ABOUT WISCONSIN (5-1): Ethan Happ continued his sensational start to his senior season as he produced 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists against the Cavaliers to notch his sixth double-double in as many games. Happ also blocked four shots against the Cavaliers and needs five more to move past Rashard Griffith (124) for third place on the program's all-time list. D'Mitrik Trice was held to five points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field after draining seven 3-pointers en route to a career-high 25 points in his previous game against Oklahoma.
TIP-INS
1. Johnson leads the ACC in 3-point field-goal percentage (56.5).
2. Happ has scored in double figures in 30 straight games, dating back to last season.
3. The Wolfpack are second nationally in scoring margin (33).
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 74, North Carolina State 71
BY GRACENOTE
No. 22 Wisconsin looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season when it hosts North Carolina State as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge on Tuesday. The Badgers won five straight games to open the campaign, including impressive back-to-back wins against Stanford and Oklahoma before dropping a 53-46 decision to fourth-ranked Virginia in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.
"Any time you can play that type of competition consistently back-to-back-to-back helps expedite your development," Wisconsin coach Greg Gard told reporters. "Looking forward to getting back home and hopefully representing the Big Ten well in the challenge." North Carolina State is off to its best start in four years following a 78-74 win against Mercer in the final game of the Wolfpack Classic. The Wolfpack have lost their only two meetings with Wisconsin, including an 87-48 setback in 2010, which was the third-most lopsided game in the history of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. They hope to remain unbeaten by knocking off a Big Ten team for the second straight season, following an 85-78 victory against Penn State. North Carolina State has scored 95 or more points three times this season and hopes to keep rolling as its aims for its first 7-0 start since 2004-05 while handing Kevin Keatts the 100th win of his coaching career.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (6-0): Torin Dorn scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the win against Mercer to finish as the Wolfpack's leading scorer for the fifth time in six games. Junior C.J. Bryce, who transferred from UNC Wilmington and sat out last season, added 17 points to surpass 1,000 for his career while Markell Johnson drained four 3-pointers en route to 16 points as the Wolfpack held off a furious rally from the Bears in the last 10 minutes. "We just got a little stale in the second half so we've got to keep on moving forward," Dorn told reporters. "Not every game is going to be a blowout."
ABOUT WISCONSIN (5-1): Ethan Happ continued his sensational start to his senior season as he produced 22 points, 15 rebounds and six assists against the Cavaliers to notch his sixth double-double in as many games. Happ also blocked four shots against the Cavaliers and needs five more to move past Rashard Griffith (124) for third place on the program's all-time list. D'Mitrik Trice was held to five points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field after draining seven 3-pointers en route to a career-high 25 points in his previous game against Oklahoma.
TIP-INS
1. Johnson leads the ACC in 3-point field-goal percentage (56.5).
2. Happ has scored in double figures in 30 straight games, dating back to last season.
3. The Wolfpack are second nationally in scoring margin (33).
PREDICTION: Wisconsin 74, North Carolina State 71