UW TAKES AIM AT NINTH WIN AWAY FROM HOME
Wisconsin travels to Michigan on Thursday looking to continue its success away from home. The Badgers are 8-3 away from the Kohl Center this. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.

Up next, the Badgers host Maryland on Feb. 19 in the season's only meeting between the 2 schools. Action tips 6 p.m. (CT) on ESPN.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WISCONSIN
WINS PILING UP: At 21-4, Wisconsin has posted the 3rd-best 25-game start in school history. Wisconsin has won at least 21 of its first 25 games for the 4th time in the last 11 seasons.
GARD IN CHARGE: Wisconsin is 36-12 with Greg Gard at the helm. He is off to the best start of any UW coach in 100 years (pg 4).
KINGS OF THE ROAD: Over the last 4 seasons, UW is 54-19 (.740) in road/neutral games, owning the 4th-best win pct. in college hoops.
ALL-AMERICAN HAPP: Ethan Happ is doing it all for UW during Big Ten play, leading the team in points (15.7 ppg), rebounds (8.8 rpg), assists (2.8 apg), blocks (1.5 bpg) and steals (2.5 spg). Happ is the only player in the nation leading his team in all 5 categories during conference play.
WINNING SEASON: Over the last 4 seasons, UW is 33-9 (.786) in Feb./March regular season games.
CONSISTENCY MODEL: UW has reached 20 wins for the 11th-straight season (longest streak in B1G) and clinched a winning record in B1G play for the 17th-consecutive season.
OT IS "OUR TIME": UW has won 8 consecutive overtime games. Of those 8, only 1 came at home.
HAYES AT THE HUB: Senior Nigel Hayes is one of the most versatile players in Big Ten history. With 1,680 points, 705 rebounds and 292 assists, he is 1 of just 3 players in Big Ten history to reach those marks (pg 6). He is the nation's only active player with 1,600p, 700r and 250a.
OWNING THE GLASS: The Badgers are 10th in the nation with a +8.3 rebounding margin.
KLUTCH KOENIG: Over the last 2 seasons, Bronson Koenig is 29-for-54 (.537) from 3-point range in the final 5:00 and OT. During B1G play this season, he is shooting 42.3% from deep (30-for-71) and his 2.6 3FGs per game is 3rd in the B1G. He is also just 5 3FGs from breaking the UW career record.
OWN THE PAINT: The Badgers have scored 260 more points in the paint than their opponents, a margin of +10.4 ppg (32.7 to 22.3). UW has only been out-scored in the paint on 4 occasions.
WISCONSIN RECIPE: The Badgers simply don't beat themselves. UW ranks 4th in the NCAA in scoring defense (60.4 ppg), 9th in fewest fouls per game and 31st in fewest turnovers per game.

STELLAR START
With a record of 21-4, the Badgers the Badgers have posted the 3rd-best 25-game start in school history. Wisconsin has won at least 21 of its first 25 games for the 4th time in the last 11 seasons.
- This season Wisconsin has had separate win streaks of 8 and 9 games. The Badgers have enjoyed a winning streak of at least 9 games in 3 of the last 4 seasons.
- The Badgers also recently had a pair of long win streaks snapped. UW had won 19 consecutive home games and 19 straight games vs. unranked opponents before falling to Northwestern (2/12).

ALL-TIME VS. MICHIGAN
Wisconsin and Michigan face off Thursday for the 2nd time this season and the 163rd time overall. The Wolverines own an 88-74 edge alltime in the series and a 54-22 lead in Ann Arbor.
- UW has won 17 of the last 19 meetings with Michigan overall, including a string of 5 straight.
- The Badgers have not played in Ann Arbor since 2015 when they claimed a 69-64 OT win. UW has won 6 of its last 7 games in Ann Arbor.
- Michigan has only scored 70+ points once in the last 19 meetings with Wisconsin, a 77-70 Wolverines win in Madison in 2014.
- Under head coach John Beilein, the Wolverines are 2-16 against Wisconsin, averaging just 56.8 ppg against UW in 18 matchups.
- Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig have both scored in double figures in each of his last 4 meetings with Michigan. Hayes has averaged 12.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 2.8 apg over the last 4 vs. UM and Koenig has averaged 15.0 ppg (10-of-20 3FGs) in those 4 meetings. Ethan Happ has averaged 11.5 ppg and 6 rpg in 2 career meetings.

LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern 66, #7 Wisconsin 59
Feb. 15, 2017 | Kohl Center | Madison, Wis.

- UW saw its 8-game win streak snapped with a 65-59 home loss to Northwestern on Sunday.
- Wisconsin out-rebounded NU, 34-32, and made more FTs (14-19) than the Wildcats attempted (7-9), but couldn't overcome 38.0% shooting.
- The Badgers were out-scored in the paint (26-12) for just the 4th time this season.
- Nigel Hayes led 4 Badgers in double figures, with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Vitto Brown and D'Mitrik Trice each scored 11 and Zak Showalter added 9 points. Ethan Happ finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and a steal.

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.)