MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin begins its 2020-21 season with a preseason matchup hosting UW-Whitewater at the Kohl Center this Friday, 6 p.m. CT on BTN+. Tickets can be purchased at UWBadgers.com.

Before Wisconsin unofficially tips off its season against the Warhawks, here are five things to know about the matchup.

THE STARTING FIVE

1) FRESH FACES: The Badgers are one of the youngest teams in the NCAA with only nine returnees from last season's squad, including two starters. UW's average age per player is 19.5 years old, which is quite younger than last year's squad that featured a starting lineup with an average age of 22.6 years old. The Badgers have five true freshmen in Lorne Bowman II, Chris Hodges, Chucky Hepburn, Matthew Mors and Markus Ilver, plus seven sophomores in Johnny Davis, Jordan Davis, Isaac Lindsey, Justin Taphorn, Carter Gilmore, Ben Carlson and Steven Crowl.

2) NEW HOME, SAME GAME: Three players are joining the team by way of the transfer portal this season. Jahcobi Neath (Wake Forest), Isaac Lindsey (UNLV), and Chris Vogt (Cincinnati) are each set to begin their first season with the Badgers.

Neath played two seasons with the Demon Deacons where he had six games with double digit scoring efforts and made nine starts in 50 appearances. Lindsey did not play at UNLV (injury), but was a three-star rated (247 Sports) and No. 5 player out of Wisconsin in the 2020 class. Vogt has played at both Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky where he has been a member of two different regular season conference championship programs. In his junior season with the Bearcats, Vogt averaged 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

3) DAVISON'S ENCORE: Senior Brad Davison returns to Wisconsin for his fifth season repping the Cardinal and White. UW's returning leading scorer from last year (10.0 ppg), Davison currently ranks fourth in team history with 124 career starts and fifth in career FT% (.832) and 3FGs (222). As a freshman, he became the program leader in FT% (.818) and 3FGs (60) for first-year players.

4) LIMITING MISTAKES: Wisconsin is one of the best teams when it comes to maintaining possession and avoiding giving away the ball. In 2020-21, they led the NCAA in turnovers per contest (9.0) and finished fifth a year prior. 

5) HISTORY WITH THE WARHAWKS: UW-Whitewater and the Badgers are meeting for just the second time in program history. Both matchups have come in exhibition play with the last game between the two schools happening in 2008 when Wisconsin beat its in-state foe, 64-47. UW has won 47 straight exhibition contests and holds a 62-4 record in preseason play.