The first top-5 matchup of the season was ugly: Kentucky decimated Kansas, 72-40. But neither Wisconsin nor Duke look to be unbeatable as Duke travels into Wisconsin on Wednesday night for the second top-five matchup of the college basketball season. It’s the headline game of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
How to watch Wisconsin vs. Duke: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Wisconsin and Duke square off in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in a matchup of top five teams.
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So far, Wisconsin has lived up to the hype of a team that brought back four starters from a Final Four team that was oh-so-close to making the national championship game. The Badgers and coach Bo Ryan are using a balanced attack as usual this season. Frank Kaminsky, Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker are all averaging double digit points while Traevon Jackson and Duje Dukan both average 8.4 points per game. They have been dominant in their undefeated start, with their only win by less than 10 points coming against a pesky Georgetown team on Nov. 27.
Duke will be the first top-20 team that Wisconsin has faced all season, and they’re relying on freshmen. It’s not just star Jahlil Okafor and his 17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Swingman Justise Winslow has shown flashes of brilliance for Duke and is averaging 13 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Duke’s defense looks much better than last year’s squad that lost to Mercer in the first round of the NCAA tournament, giving up just 59 points per game.
How to watch, listen and stream
Game time: 9:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Online Streaming: Watch ESPN.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Wisconsin is ranked No. 2 in the AP poll and No. 4 in the coaches. Duke is No. 4 in the AP and No. 2 in the coaches. Wisconsin is 7-0 and coming off a win in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament with wins over Georgetown and Oklahoma. Duke is also 7-0, with their biggest win coming over No. 19 Michigan State. This will be the third time Wisconsin and Duke have faced off. Wisconsin won the last meeting, 73-69 in 2009. Duke won the previous matchup, 82-58 in 2007.
Odds: Wisconsin is favored by 3.5
One big matchup
Kaminsky vs. Okafor. The Wisconsin big man isn’t expected to be an NBA star like the Duke freshman, but he’s already proven to be an NCAA star. Okafor has lived up to his billing as one of the country’s best, but he’s yet to face a strong big man. Kaminsky will have a chance to show some NBA scouts how he handles a player like Okafor. Kaminsky was superb in Wisconsin’s Final Four run, and a big showing against Okafor would bode well for his draft stock.
Further reading
For coverage from Wisconsin, head over to Bucky’s 5th Quarter. For more on Duke, check out the Duke Basketball Report.
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