Marquette Golden Eagles vs Wisconsin Badgers Picks and Predictions December 7th 2024

No. 5 Marquette, No. 11 Wisconsin Aim to Regroup in In-State Clash

Fifth-ranked Marquette and No. 11 Wisconsin both aim to rebound from their first losses of the season when the in-state rivals face off Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee.

Marquette (8-1) fell 81-70 at No. 6 Iowa State on Wednesday, while Wisconsin (8-1) suffered a 67-64 home loss to Michigan on Tuesday in their Big Ten opener.

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Marquette Seeks to Learn from Setback

The Golden Eagles tied Iowa State at 61-61 with a 10-0 run, but the Cyclones responded with a decisive 14-0 surge.

“It’s a really valuable lesson for our guys,” Marquette coach Shaka Smart said in a post-game radio interview. “Sometimes a game like this can smack you across the face and let you know what it really, really takes to go on the road against a Top 10 team and win.”

Marquette lost starting guard Chase Ross in the first half to an ankle injury. His availability for Saturday is uncertain, while reserve guard Zaide Lowery (knee sprain) has been ruled out.

The Golden Eagles shot just 38.6 percent from the floor against Iowa State. Kam Jones, their leading scorer this season (19.0 points per game), contributed 14 points but was 6-for-21 from the field. David Joplin (15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds) and Stevie Mitchell (11.9 points) will be key for Marquette as they look to regroup.

Wisconsin Aims to Fix Late-Game Execution

Wisconsin led 64-61 late against Michigan but failed to score in the final 2:37, struggling to contain the Wolverines’ 7-footers Vladislav Goldin and Danny Wolf, who combined for 44 points, 12 rebounds, and eight blocks.

Despite entering the game as the nation’s best free-throw shooting team (86.4 percent), the Badgers went 14-for-19 from the line.

Graduate transfer John Tonje, who averages a team-high 22.3 points, led Wisconsin with 18 points against Michigan. John Blackwell follows with 15.0 points per game, while Nolan Winter (5.6 rebounds per game) and Steven Crowl (5.1) provide an interior presence.

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Max Klesmit, who had a strong performance in last year’s win over Marquette, is mired in a shooting slump, hitting just 32.6 percent from the field and 25.4 percent from 3-point range this season. “You’ve got to keep shooting,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “Work on it. You can’t be hesitant, you can’t be gun shy.”

Recent History Favors Wisconsin

Wisconsin has won the last three matchups against Marquette, including a 75-64 victory last season when the Golden Eagles were ranked No. 3. Klesmit scored 21 first-half points in that game, and Crowl added 16 as the Badgers dominated the boards with a 38-23 advantage.

The stakes are high as both teams look to bounce back and prove their mettle in one of college basketball’s most heated rivalries.