Steven Crowl passes the ball at Minnesota
AJ Harrison

Men's Basketball Jake Ross

Starting Five: Badgers take on Penn State for senior day

Wisconsin plays final game of regular season at home

MADISON, Wis. — The No.12 Wisconsin men’s basketball team plays its final game of the regular season this Saturday - a senior day matchup against Penn State at the Kohl Center.

Tip is set for 12 p.m. (CT) on Peacock. Tickets are sold out, but can still be found at SeatGeek.com Fans can also listen to the action on the Badger Sports Network. 

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW:

Jack Janicki prepares to drive at Minnesota
Jack Janicki (33) scored six second-half points at Minnesota

1. LAST TIME OUT

Wisconsin swept the season series against rival Minnesota, earning a 74-67 victory. Each team held the momentum at different points in the game, but it was the Badgers who ultimately pulled away, with John Blackwell hitting a dagger lay-up with 49 seconds remaining. 

Blackwell led the team in scoring for the third-straight game, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. John Tonje scored 18 points and seven rebounds, and Steven Crowl added in 10 points with three assists. Jack Janicki provided a spark off the bench with six second-half points.

The game was a physical one, with the two teams combining for 38 fouls. The Badgers relied on hustle in order to pull through, outrebounding the Gophers, 41-to-34. Wisconsin fought through the tight defense and drew fouls, going 21-for-24 from the free throw line.

2. SUPER SOPHOMORE

For the past three games, John Blackwell has led the way for Wisconsin. After a 25 point, 11 rebound performance, Blackwell now has two double-doubles over the last three games, previously securing his first career double-double with a 24 and 10 performance against Washington.

Over his three-game stretch, Blackwell is averaging 21.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Since February 25, Blackwell has scored the second most points in the Big Ten, and has the third most rebounds. The two players with more rebounds than him, Vladislav Goldin and Derik Queen, are 7-1 and 6-10 compared to Blackwell standing at 6-4.

Blackwell has seven 20+ point games this season, and has led Wisconsin in scoring eight times. For the season, he is averaging 15.5 points per game.

Steven Crowl and Eli Rice in 2023-24
Penn State's Eli Rice (11) previously played against the Badgers while on Nebraska

3. KNOWING THE NITTANY LIONS

The Badgers final game of the regular season comes against the Penn State Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions are 15-15 on the season, with a 5-14 mark in conference play. The team has lost nine of its last eleven games, with the wins coming against Nebraska and Minnesota during late February. Most recently, the team lost to Maryland in a tight  68-64 battle.

Mike Rhoades is at the helm for Penn State, finishing up his second season with the team. He’s accumulated a 31-32 record in his time with the school. Before joining the Nittany Lions, Rhoades coached Virginia Commonwealth for six seasons, taking the team to three NCAA tournaments, and earning A-10 Coach of the Year in 2018-19.

Senior Ace Baldwin Jr. brings experience and leadership to the team, leading with 14.2 points and 7.0 assists per game. Yanic Konan Niederhauser, a former teammate of Xavier Amos, adds an additional 12.8 points per game, while shooting 61% from the field. Seniors Nicholas Kern and Zach Hicks each score 11.5 points per game, giving Penn State a potent offensive attack. 

Wisconsin basketball defeats Penn State 63-60 on January 17, 2022 at the Kohl Center at the University of Wisconsin- Madison. (Photo by Taylor Wolfram)
Steven Crowl (22) averages 12.4 points per game in his career against PSU

4. SERIES HISTORY

Wisconsin and Penn State first played each other in 1993, when PSU joined the Big Ten conference. Since then, Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 44-12. In games played in Madison, UW holds a 23-2 edge over Penn State, with its last home loss coming in 1995. Since then, Wisconsin has won the last 23 home games against the Nittany Lions.

Penn State won the last meeting between the two, taking an 87-83 victory at Bryce Jordan Center. Despite the setback, it was just the second Badger loss to the Nittany Lions in their last 20 games. John Blackwell had a great game off the bench, scoring 14 points in 23 minutes.

Steven Crowl had a great performance in that game as well, collecting 17 points and 11 rebounds on 8-for-11 shooting. In five career games against PSU, Crowl averages 12.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and a 67.5% shooting mark from the field. John Tonje has played Penn State before as well, during his time on Colorado State. Tonje collected his only career double-double against the Nittany Lions, scoring 14 points and grabbing a career-high 13 rebounds.

5. SENIOR DAY

Saturday’s game is not only the regular season finale, but it also serves as senior day for the Badgers, honoring our six senior players and four managers on the team. Before the game, the seniors will be escorted by their parents onto the court in recognition of the hard work and dedication that they’ve put into the team.

The seniors to be honored include Markus Ilver, Carter Gilmore, John Tonje, Kamari McGee, Max Klesmit, and Steven Crowl. 

Fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 11:30 a.m. in order to join in on the celebration.

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