The Wisconsin Badgers’ No. 12 men’s basketball team (4-1 overall, 0-0 Big Teen) has already had two games canceled this season, but thankfully, they managed to find two excellent substitutes in no time. This time, the Loyola (Chicago) Ramblers (3-0 overall, 0-0 MVC) will make a short trip north to Madison to face the Badgers on Tuesday night at the Kohl Center.
Table update
Wednesday’s match against Northern Iowa was canceled, after UNI announced it would not play its last two non-conference matches
Instead, the Badger will host Loyola Club on Tuesday. The game will flip at 7 PM (CT) on Big Ten Network. pic.twitter.com/RvxH9z8Szh
Wisconsin Basketball (BadgerMBB) December 13, 2020
You’ll undoubtedly remember the Ramblers from their awesome trips to the 2018 Final Four and Sister Jean and how we were cheering them all against Michigan, but things have changed now. Now they are playing the beloved Badger and it’s time to put Sister Jane in the trash where she belongs! I’m sorry, that’s over the top. We shouldn’t want or do that.
:: Take a deep breath ::
Well let’s try this one more time! The Rumblers would come to Madison after winning their first three games of the season albeit against less competition than the current Badgers.
Loyola is incredibly effective when shooting basketball this year, earning 62.8% eFG% in the season which is the second best player in the country. They also do not roll the ball much nor give up any offensive rebounds. Weirdly, they are a poor throwing team this year but one can imagine they will get better as the season goes on.
The big man Cameron Krottweig needs 63 assists this season to move to the top ten in school history for that category, after which he will become the first player in the school’s history to be ranked in the top ten of points, rebounds and assists. It’ll pose a problem for Nate Reuvers and Micah Potter as he’s proven to be adept at pulling fouls (7.5 per match) and the two big men in Wisconsin have proven, uh, adept at making mistakes.
How to watch / listen
Television: BTN, 7:00 pm, CT, Jeff Levering, Brian Butch
flow: FOX Sports Go
Radio / Satellite: 1310 am, Sirius / XM 84; Matt LeBay, Mike Lucas
Live stats: Here!
Arena: Kohl Center
Line: Wisconsin -8
KenPom Wisconsin Win Ratio: 74%
Fun facts (according to media guides)
- The Ramblers have won – after their 77-66 win over UIC on Sunday – at least 20 games in each of the last two seasons, including reaching the Final Four as the No.11 seed in 2017-18.
- Wisconsin has 12 consecutive home games, the longest winning streak in Big Ten.
- Wisconsin leads the series all-time with Loyola, 9-6, which goes back to the first meeting in 1948. However, the two have not met in 22 years.
- UW 7-3 for the games played in Madison. Although the Ramblers have won three of the last five.
- Senior Mika Potter (mazel tov) recently got engaged to this summer with Elle Van Grinsven, a senior at Loyola Chicago’s volleyball team.
- With five games, D’Mitrik Trice averages 11.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3.8 apg. He also shoots 40% of his 3-point range (8 against 20).
- Along with Brad Davison, UW’s backcourt earned 26 assists with only eight turns in 256 minutes combined throughout the year.
- If Davison scores 16 points in this game, he would top color commentator Brian Butch in Wisconsin’s scoring chart.
- The Badgers continue to choke off opponents again this season, driving the Big Ten this year and only allowing 59.2 ppg.
- Back in the 2017-18 season, the Ramblers defeated four of the ranked’s last seven competitors, yet they had their last nine matches against the Big Ten competitor.
Potential appetizers
Wisconsin
- Demetric Trace, 6 Feet, Big Red Shirt, Goalkeeper, No. 0
- Aleem Ford, 6-foot-8, forward, # 2
- Micah Potter, 6ft-10, Red Shirt, Center, # 11
- Brad Davison, 6 feet 4, large, # 34 keeper
- Nate Rivers, 6 feet-11, senior, # 35 striker
Loyola (Chicago)
- Lucas Williamson, 6 feet 4, large, # 1 keeper
- Braden Norris, 6 feet 0, Red Shirt student, Ranger, No. 4
- Tate Hall, 6 feet 6, big red shirt, striker, number 24
- Cameron Crotwig, 6ft-9, Large, Center, # 25
- Ahir Ugwak, 6 feet, 7, big red shirt, number 30 striker
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