BADGERS CLOSE OUT NON-CON AT HOME
Following an eight-day break for final exams on campus, Wisconsin will close out its non-conference schedule on Friday, Dec. 23, against Florida A&M. Tip-off at the Kohl Center is set for 8 p.m. (CT) on BTN.

Next, the Badgers open Big Ten play hosting Rutgers on Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WISCONSIN
GARD IN CHARGE: Since the Dec. 15, 2015 retirement of Bo Ryan, Greg Gard and Wisconsin haven't missed a step. The 2016 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, Gard is 15-2 (.882) as head coach at the Kohl Center.
NON-CON SUCCESS: Wisconsin has won 10 non-conference games for the 6th time in the last 8 seasons.
BIG WINS: Wisconsin already owns wins over teams from the ACC, Big East (2x), Big 12 and SEC this season. According to KenPom.com, UW has 5 top-100 wins, the most of any Big Ten team.
HAYES AT THE HUB: Nigel Hayes has been at the center of Wisconsin's 6-game win streak. Including a season-high 28 points vs. Oklahoma (12/3), Hayes is averaging 17.7 ppg, shooting 57.4% from the field (4-for-6 on 3FGs) and averaging 8.8 FTAs during the 6-game stretch.
PRAISE FOR HAYES: Entering Friday's game vs. Florida A&M, Hayes ranks 9th on UW's all-time scoring list with 1,510 career points. The versatile forward is also the nation's only active player with at least 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 200 assists.
LOOKING TO SCORE: Sporting one of the most efficient offenses in the nation (10th according to KenPom.com), the Badgers are averaging 84.3 ppg and shooting 52.3% over the last 6 outings.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Wisconsin has held 8 of its 12 opponents to season-low point totals. According to KenPom.com, the Badgers rank 18th in the NCAA in adjusted defensive efficiency.
OWNING THE GLASS: The Badgers are 4th in the nation with a +12.7 rebounding margin. UW also ranks 2nd in the NCAA in def. rebounding pct. (79.4%) and 17th in off. rebounding pct. (38.3%).
MAKING IT HAPP-EN: Ethan Happ has scored in double figures in 9 straight and is near the top of several B1G categories: 2nd in rpg (9.6), 3rd in O-rpg (3.2), 2nd in FG% (.693) and 3rd in spg (1.6).
KOENIG HEATING UP: Wisconsin's leading scorer (15.2 ppg), Bronson Koenig is 18-for-34 (.529) from 3-point range over the last 5 games. He ranks 3rd in the Big Ten with 2.7 3FGs per game.
PROTECT THIS HOUSE: The Badgers have won 13 in a row at home. UW's .872 all-time win percentage (266-39) at the Kohl Center ranks 5th among all active arenas in the NCAA.

ALL-TIME VS. FLORIDA A&M
- Wisconsin and Florida A&M will meet for the third time with the Badgers winning each of the first two contests. The Badgers claimed a 100-56 win over the Rattlers in 1983 and won, 88-40, in the most recent meeting on Nov. 16, 2007.
- UW is also 13-0 against teams from the MEAC Conference all-time. The most recent meeting with a team from the MEAC was a 66-33 victory over Savannah State in 2011.

LAST TIME OUT
#14 Wisconsin 73, Green Bay 59
Dec. 14, 2016  |  Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

- Wisconsin led by as many as 24 before coasting to a 73-59 win over Green Bay last Wednesday. The Badgers used a 12-0 run in the second half to pull away, holding the Phoenix scoreless for a stretch of 4:14.
- A year after turning the ball over 26 times against Green Bay, the Badgers had just 9 turnovers this season. UW also forced a season-high 19 turnovers, including 13 steals, the team's most since tallying 16 steals vs. Cal (12/2/12).
- The Badgers assisted on 18 of their 27 field goals.
- Nigel Hayes led Wisconsin with 24 points, his 2nd game with at least 20 points this season. He also grabbed 5 boards and equaled his season-high with 13 FTAs.
- Zak Showalter enjoyed one of his finest games with a season-high 16 points, 5 rebounds and a career-high 6 steals. The senior hit a career-best 4 triples (4-6 3FGs).
- Ethan Happ picked up his 5th double-double of the season and his 4th in the last 6 games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He also dished out a career-high 6 assists with only 1 turnover and ripped 2 steals.

HOME SWEET HOME
Wisconsin is in the midst of a 13-game home winning streak. The Badgers last loss at the Kohl Center came in a 63-60 setback to No. 3 Maryland on Jan. 9, 2016.
- 4 of the 8 longest home winning streaks in UW history have happened with Greg Gard on the bench (as an assistant), including the school-record 38-game winning streak from 2002 to 2005.
- UW is 266-39 (.872) all-time at the Kohl Center, the fifth-highest home winning percentage for any active Division I college basketball arena (list on page 11).
- Greg Gard has built a record of 15-2 (.875) at home during his head coaching tenure.

THEY'RE ALL WATCHING
Wisconsin's roster features a trio of players on the Preseason All-Big Ten list with Nigel Hayes (Preseason Player of the Year), Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ all earning distinction. That trio is also featured on numerous national award watch lists:

Hayes
- Naismith Player of the Year Award
- Wooden Player of the Year Award
- Lute Olsen National Player of the Year
- Karl Malone Power Forward of the Year

Koenig
- Naismith Player of the Year Award
- Wooden Player of the Year Award
- Lute Olsen National Player of the Year
- Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year

Happ
- Naismith Player of the Year Award
- Wooden Player of the Year Award
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year

2016-17 TEAM INFO
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/4

RETURNING FRONTCOURT STARTERS
- The Badgers welcome back 2016 first-team All-Big Ten selection Nigel Hayes, who averaged 15.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg while leading UW with 104 assists. The 2016-17 Blue Ribbon Magazine preseason National Player of the Year and preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, Hayes joins Michael Finley as the only Badgers to tally at least 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists by their junior season. If he just matches his junior year totals he would finish 3rd in school history in points (1,340 entering 2016-17), 7th in rebounds (557 entering 2016-17) and 7th in career assists (219 entering 2016-17).
- Sophomore Ethan Happ looks to build off his 2016 Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign during which he averaged 12.4 ppg, ranked 6th in the Big Ten with 7.9 rpg and became the first freshman to lead the Big Ten in steals (63 steals) since OSU's Aaron Craft (2010). Happ became just the third NCAA freshman over the last 15 seasons to score 400 points, while recording 60 steals and 30 blocks (also Kevin Durant and DuJuan Blair).
- Senior Vitto Brown finished 4th on the team in scoring, averaing 9.7 ppg with 5.0 rpg. He enjoyed the third-largest scoring increase in the Big Ten a year ago, going from 1.8 ppg to 9.7 ppg in 2015-16. Brown did not attempt a 3-pointer in his first two seasons at UW, but led the team last year, shooting 40% (38-95) from deep.

RETURNING BACKCOURT STARTERS
- Third-team All-Big Ten junior Bronson Koenig returns as the team's lead guard after averaging 13.1 ppg and shooting 39.0% (83-213) from 3-point range. The moniker "Klutch Koenig" was born in 2015-16 after his game-winning shots against VCU and Xavier. In fact, over the final 5:00 and overtime of games last season, Koenig shot 54.8% (17-for-31) from 3-point range. Koenig needs just 71 points and 27 assists to become the 14th player in UW history with at least 1,000 points and 250 assists.
- Senior guard Zak Showalter made just four 3-pointers in his first two seasons, but knocked down 35 percent (37-107) from long range as a junior. Showalter averaged 7.5 ppg and 3.8 rpg while ranking third on UW with 36 steals.
- The Badgers also return key reserves Jordan Hill (junior guard - 15.6 mpg), Khalil Iverson (soph. guard - 13.0 mpg), Alex Illikainen (soph. forward - 9.8 mpg) and Charles Thomas, IV (soph. forward - 9.1 mpg). Wisconsin will also regain the services of redshirt freshman guard Brevin Pritzl, who missed all but one game of his freshman year with a foot injury and sophomore forward Andy Van Vliet, who was forced to sit out the 2015-16 season after the NCAA ruled him ineligible for not enrolling in college within a year of high school graduation. 
- Wisconsin will also welcome a three-man freshman class that features guard D'Mitrik Trice (6-0, Huber Heights, Ohio), forward Aleem Ford (6-8, Lawrenceville, Ga.) and walk-on guard Michael Ballard (6-4, Oak Park, Ill.)