MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin men's basketball returns to action this week after last week's game against George Mason was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions. The Badgers are set to host Illinois State on Wednesday at the Kohl Center with tip set for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
 
Before the matchup between Wisconsin and the Redbirds, here is the Starting Five:
 
1.) Long Time No See: The last time the Badgers played a game was against Nicholls back on Dec. 15. UW came back from a double-digit second half deficit to beat the Colonels, 71-68. Brad Davison scored 19 points, while Tyler Wahl added 12 points and Wisconsin used a 16-0 run to complete the comeback.
 
2.) Davis Rising: Johnny Davis leads Wisconsin in four major statistical categories this season – points, rebounds, assists, and steals. The sophomore guard's 20.9 points per game ranks third in the Big Ten and 15th in the country.
 
3.) Closing out the Year: Wednesday will be the Badgers final game in the year of 2021. Wisconsin is 7-2 in its last nine games to take place just before entering a new year, including a win over Minnesota, 71-59, a year ago and a 65-37 victory over Rider in 2019.
 
4.) Scouting the Redbirds: ISU is led by junior guard Antonio Reeves averaging 20.8 points per game. Two other Illinois State players are scoring in double digits – Sy Chatham (14.3 ppg) and Josiah Strong (12.8 ppg). The Redbirds lead the MVC with 80.4 points and 6.2 blocks per contest.
 
5.) History with ISU: Wisconsin leads the all-time series between the two programs, 2-1. The last matchup came in Normal where UW came out victorious, 71-54, in 1998. The two teams have never met in the Kohl Center.