Jan. 23, 2017
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State men's basketball team has its second-consecutive road game vs. a Top 25 opponent when it travels to Madison for a 9 p.m. Tuesday matchup with No. 15 Wisconsin in the Kohl Center.
STORYLINES
- The Nittany Lions are coming off a Saturday loss at then-No. 21 Purdue. Josh Reaves had a Big Ten career-high 12 points to lead the team. Reaves leaves the Big Ten in total steals/steals per game.
- Games played Tuesday vs. Wisconsin and Saturday vs. Illinois are part of Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Week. The annual event raises awareness about the importance of nutrition and physical activity in reducing cancer risk. Penn State also will wear gold laces in each game.
- The Nittany Lions are closing out a stretch of three out of four games vs. Top 25 teams. Following the win over No. 24 Minnesota and the matchup with Indiana, they traveled to then-No. 21 Purdue and No. 15 Wisconsin.
- Four players are averaging in double figures for Penn State this season, led by junior captains Shep Garner (12.3 ppg) and Payton Banks (11.7). Three freshmen are among the top five scorers and are each of top three rebounders. Tony Carr is the team's leading scorer in Big Ten action with 11.6 ppg.
SETTING THE SCENE
- More than 4,000 basketball coaches will forego their dress shoes in favor of sneakers to go with their suits during the annual Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Awareness Week, January 23-29. The event raises awareness about the importance of nutrition and physical activity in reducing cancer risk.
- The Nittany Lion coaches and staff also will be wearing gold laces through Princess Lacey's Laces, in memory of 8-year-old Lacey Holsworth, who passed away in 2014 after a two-year battle with Stage IV Neuroblastoma cancer. She was an avid Michigan State basketball fan and captured hearts around the Big Ten and across the country.
- Penn State has won two of its last four games and is facing its third ranked foe in four games. The Lions defeated No. 24 Minnesota Jan. 14 for their first win over a Top 25 team this season (0-2 prior, now 1-3).
- The 3-3 mark through the first six games of the Big Ten slate was the best record through the opening third of league play since 2010-11.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
- The Big Ten leading Badgers have won 12 of their last 13 games, dropping a 66-55 decision to Purdue Jan. 3 in West Lafayette in that stretch.
- They have two wins of 20 or more points in Big Ten play in home wins over Rutgers and Ohio State.
- Wisconsin is 11-0 in the Kohl Center this season and has won each of its last 17 home games.
- Bronson Koenig is the leading scorer for Wisconsin with 14.3 points per game, while Ethan Happ is the top rebounder with 9.4 per game.
- As a team, Wisconsin has a +10.0 rebound margin on the season, the fifth-highest margin in Division I.
SERIES HISTORY
- This is the 45th meeting between the teams with Wisconsin holding a 34-10 advantage in the series and a 2-18 lead in Madison.
- Ten of the last 11 meetings have been decided by 10 or fewer points.
- Penn State's last win over the Badgers came in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament en route to the tourney final, a 36-33 decision.
- The last win in Madison was in 1995, 78-67 PSU.
CURRENT ROSTER VS. WISCONSIN
Five current players have taken on the Badgers, led by Shep Garner's 7.0 ppg through three career meetings. Josh Reaves missed the lone matchup vs. the Badgers last season while recovering from mono.
| Player | GP-GS | PPG | RPG | SERIES HIGH |
| S. Garner | 3-3 | 7 | 1.3 | 11, at WIS (12/31/14) |
| P. Banks | 3-1 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 11, vs WIS (1/21/16) |
| J. Moore | 3-1 | 5 | 5.3 | 8, vs WIS (1/21/16) |
| D. Zemgulis | 1-0 | 4 | 0 | 4, vs WIS (1/21/16) |
| I. Washington | 1-0 | 0 | 0 | -- |
LAST TIME AGAINST THE BADGERS
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Jan. 21, 2016) - Ethan Happ had 20 points and 11 rebounds and Wisconsin held off Penn State for a 66-60 win. Nigel Hayes added 15 points for the Badgers who won their second straight Big Ten game. Brandon Taylor scored 13 for Penn State. Wisconsin (11-9, 3-4 Big Ten) led by as many as 17 in the middle of the second half but Taylor came alive late. Although Penn State's leading scorer attempted just one first-half shot, he scored nine of Penn State's final 11 points including his lone 3-pointer with 6:20 to play. It sparked a 12-3 run to pull Penn State within five with 3:16 left. Devin Foster drilled a 3-pointer to cut Wisconsin's lead to 63-60 with 30 seconds left. Happ secured the win with three free throws.
MEMORABLE MATCHUPS
March 11, 2011 (PSU, 36-33): The Lions earned their fourth win over a Top 25 team with a defensive exhibition in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals, en route to their appearance in the finals. Talor Battle led Penn State with a whopping nine points as the teams shot a combined 31 percent (28-90).
Jan. 31, 2012 (WIS, 52-46): Tim Frazier had 21 points, including 17 of the team's 23 second-half points to keep Penn State within two with 3:36 to play. Jordan Taylor had 18 points for Wisconsin and hit 6-8 free throws in the final minute to seal the win.
Jan. 26, 1995 (PSU, 78-67): The highest combined point total (145) in the first 41 games of series came in fifth all-time meeting. It was Penn State's second of just two series wins in Madison. The teams topped that total in the 2014-15 Big Ten opener with 161 total points.
UP NEXT
Following the matchup at Wisconsin, Penn State returns to the Bryce Jordan Center for three of its next four games, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Saturday against Illinois. The meeting with the Illini will be Coaches vs. Cancer Day in the BJC with the coaches taking part in Suits and Sneakers and a portion of all single-game sales going to the Penn State chapter of Coaches vs. Cancer.