1. LAST TIME OUT

Wisconsin picked up its first true road win of the season, beating Rutgers, 75-63, and becoming the first team to take down the Scarlet Knights at their home Jersey Mike’s Arena this season. After building a strong lead in the first half, Rutgers fought to make it a three-point game. A 15-4 run during the final six minutes of the game put the Badgers on top for good.

John Blackwell scored 21 points, including the final six points for UW. Steven Crowl earned his 12th career double-double, and his first of the season, with 18 points and 11 rebounds. John Tonje collected 15 points in the game, scoring 13 of them in the second half to fight off the Rutgers comeback.

The Badgers torrid offense continued from their 116-85 win over Iowa last Friday, despite not attempting a free throw until the final four minutes of the game. UW shot 54.4% (31-for-57) as a team, the highest in a conference road game since January of 2014 against Northwestern. Wisconsin improved to 12-6 all-time against the Scarlet Knights.

2. SOPHOMORE JUMP

Two of the biggest contributors to Wisconsin’s historic offensive output this season have been sophomores John Blackwell and Nolan Winter. Last season, the two players had one combined start between them, despite being key players in the rotation. This season, the pair have started in all 15 games.

Blackwell has scored 20+ points in back-to-back games, including a career-high 32 point performance against Iowa. He’s the second leading scorer on the team, and has a 7.8 point scoring average bump since last season. Blackwell’s increased role includes taking on more point-guard duties, while maintaining the same rim-pressure and off-ball movement that made him an All-Big Ten Freshman selection a year ago.

Winter has proven himself to be one of the conference’s most efficient scorers, leading the Big Ten with his 75.4% shooting on 2-point attempts. The seven-footer also leads the team in rebounds, and has taken new strides within the last month - averaging 15.2 points and 8.0 rebounds since December 10. He’s a key reason as to why Wisconsin has outscored its opponent in the paint during its last five games.

3. GET TO KNOW THE GOPHERS

The Badger’s next conference test comes against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Minnesota is 8-7 this season and is 0-4 in league play. The team’s most recent game was a double-overtime loss to Ohio State, with its additional losses coming against Michigan State, Indiana, and Purdue.

The Gophers are coached by Ben Johnson in his fourth season with the team. He’s compiled a 49-61 record with Minnesota in that span. Under Johnson this season, the Gophers have adopted a pass-first identity, with three players averaging over three assists per game. 

The main beneficiary of that passing is senior forward Dawson Garcia, averaging a team-best 18.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Senior Mike Mitchell Jr. is second in scoring at 12.8 points, and is one of the team’s top passers at 3.5 assists per game. Senior Lu’Cye Patterson leads the team with 3.9 assists and rounds out the players averaging double-figures with 10.7 points per game.

4. SERIES HISTORY

Minnesota is Wisconsin’s most played matchup in program history, with 212 games between the two programs dating back to 1900. Wisconsin has the edge in the all-time series, leading the Golden Gophers, 108-104, including a 68-34 mark in games played in Madison. 

Despite the narrow gap between the two teams, the most recent matchups have been all-Wisconsin. The Badgers are on a seven-game win streak against the Gophers dating back to 2020, and are 16-2 since February of 2014. UW is also 20-2 against Minnesota when playing at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin took the lone matchup last season, 61-59, on the road. Max Klesmit scored 11 points in the victory. Minnesota-native, Steven Crowl, has many notable games against the Gophers including two 20+ point performances. Crowl averages 12.6 points per game on 63.3% shooting in his career against Minnesota.

5. ALUMNI NIGHT

Friday’s game also serves as Alumni night for the Badgers. Former Wisconsin men’s basketball players will participate in a celebratory half-time ceremony honoring their past history and accomplishments. In honor of alumni night, here are some of the most notable performances against Minnesota by Wisconsin’s former players.

Ethan Happ 1/21/17 - Led Wisconsin to a 78-76 overtime road win over Minnesota, scoring 28 points, along with 12 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks.

Frank Kaminsky 3/5/15 - Helped Wisconsin claim sole possession of the 2015 Big Ten title by scoring 25 points with six rebounds and seven assists in a 76-63 victory.

Ben Brust 3/14/14 - Scored a career high 29 points to take down Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament, 83-57. One of just two times the Badgers and Gophers have met in the postseason.