College Basketball Preview and Prediction: Wisconsin at Indiana

Wisconsin vs. Indiana Broadcast

Date: Saturday, March 7
Game Time: 12:00 ET

This is a meaningful game to both teams as Wisconsin will be trying to win the Big Ten Championship and Indiana will be playing for their March Madness lives. Wisconsin has been on a tear and as always you never know what you are going to get with the Hoosiers, but Indiana are a much bigger threat at home than they are on the road.

Keys to the game

For Indiana, it will be getting to the free-throw line and converting above 70 percent, which has not happened often enough this season. The Hoosiers will have to limit turnovers and shoot good enough from outside to take some pressure off the inside game. Wisconsin needs to double the post and force Indiana’s guards to beat them from the outside. Indiana needs a big game from Devonte Green if they want to get this game in the win column and Rob Phinisee will need to knock down a few three-point shots as well.

Race Thompson must be a factor, as well as Jerome Hunter. For the Hoosiers to win this game must be a team effort. The one weakness for the Badgers has been rebounding this and the Hoosiers will need to dominate the boards. The other factor is Wisconsin does not often get to the line.

Prediction: I know it’s a big game for both teams but the Hoosiers must win this game. A loss here and a bad Big Ten tournament performance could leave them on the outside looking in come tournament time. I look for TJD to play big and Jerome Hunter will play a big factor with Race Thompson and Rob Phinisee should be able to control the tempo. TJD needs to be decisive when double-teamed and I think the energy the Hoosiers will play with at home will put them over the top in this game.

Hoosiers 66, Badgers 62