Wisconsin hopes its home-court advantage will provide a boost when the Badgers host Northwestern in a Big Ten opener on Wednesday night in Madison, Wis.
The Badgers (5-2), who lost to TCU 74-63 on Friday in the Rady Children’s Invitational title game in San Diego, have not played at home since Nov. 17.
The Wildcats (5-2), meanwhile, are playing their fifth straight game away from home against their fifth different power conference. They have split against DePaul (Big East), Virginia (ACC), South Carolina (SEC) and Oklahoma State (Big 12) over the last three weeks — capped by their 86-81 loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving in Chicago.
Wisconsin opened with four victories at home over low- and mid-major opponents, then was blown out 98-70 by No. 9 BYU in its first away game to fall out of the Associated Press Top 25. The Badgers bounced back with a dominant 104-83 win over Providence in the Rady Children’s opener before falling to TCU.
“It’s good to get knocked around a little bit and get some things exposed,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said following the TCU game. “We’ve got a long road in front of us and we have to get better in order to keep running down that road.”
Wisconsin averages 87.1 points, led by the backcourt tandem of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. Boyd, a graduate transfer from San Diego State who also played on Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four team, averages a team-high 21.0 points per game and Blackwell adds 19.0 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Blackwell had 30 points versus TCU and Boyd a career-high 36 against Providence.
One thing holding the Badgers back? They’re attempting slightly more than half of their shots beyond the arc this season — as they want to do — but they’re shooting just 33.0% from 3-point range.
Northwestern, averaging 82.1 points per game, has scored 75 or more in six consecutive games for the first time since 2015.
In their last four games, the Wildcats have been outrebounded by a combined total of 46.
“Every game consistently, we’re just getting dominated on the glass,” said Nick Martinelli, who had his first double-double of the season against Oklahoma State with 25 points and 10 rebounds. “As a player, as a four-man, you’re supposed to dominate. It’s pretty embarrassing.”
Martinelli, named to the 2025-26 Wooden Award preseason top 50 watch list, averages a team-best 20.6 points per game, shooting 56.7%, along with 6.6 rebounds. Cincinnati transfer Arrinten Page adds 15.0 points and a team-best 7.0 boards.
Wisconsin has won nine of the last 11 against the Wildcats.
