Wisconsin basketball faces B1G's top scorer at Indiana
Expect fireworks when Nick Boyd and Lamar Wilkerson meet in a clash of transfer portal superstars
Two of the Big Ten’s most prolific scorers meet in Bloomington, Indiana, today as Wisconsin basketball point guard Nick Boyd meets Indiana guard Lamar Wilkerson. As the Wisconsin Badgers turn the page on an impressive January to a difficult stretch to close the regular season, they face an opponent that UW has had the better of as of late.
In its overall history, Wisconsin trails Indiana 99-81 all-time. Before Bo Ryan and Greg Gard arrived in Madison in 2002, that series was significantly more lopsided. The Badgers have amassed a 32-8 record over the Hoosiers during the Ryan-Gard era. Since the 2007-08 season, UW has put together a better record against IU (26-5) than any other team in the Big Ten.
You might, however, want to throw any historical understanding of these programs out the window when they meet in 2026. Indiana has a first-year head coach and zero players on its roster who were in Bloomington a season ago. Wisconsin has scored 90+ points nine times this season, the most in school history.
When these two high-flying offenses meet, expect fireworks.
Who to Watch: Sharpshooting Lamar Wilkerson
Only four players in the Big Ten are outpacing Boyd’s 21.0 points per game in conference play. Chief among them, however, is Wilkerson. The transfer from Sam Houston leads all players, scoring 23.0 points per game in league play.
Although Wilkerson is playing his first season at a high-major level, he plays like a seasoned B1G veteran. The fifth-year senior is coming off a 33-point performance in the Hoosiers’ 81-75 loss to the USC Trojans. In that game, Wilkerson shot 5-12 from beyond the arc — the 10th time this season he has made at least five threes.
Shooting 39.1% from beyond the arc on nearly 200 attempts this season, Wilkerson has helped define IU’s offensive identity in head coach Darien DeVries first year leading the Hoosiers. As a team, 52.0% of Indiana’s shots from the field are threes. IU is one of only 12 teams nationally that shoot the three at a higher rate than Wisconsin (51.0%).
Wilkerson has buoyed those numbers. His 3.7 made threes per game are second-most in the conference, trailing only Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Pryce Sandfort’s 4.2. Earlier this season, Wilkerson lifted Indiana to a dominating 113-72 victory over Penn State by making ten triples—a new IU program record.
What to Watch: Can Wisconsin basketball capitalize at the free-throw line?
At first glance, the Hoosiers appear to have an exceptional two-point defense. Indiana is holding opponents to 47.1% shooting inside the arc, the 38th-best mark in Division I. That top-line, however, hides IU’s tendency to send opponents to the foul line.
Indiana commits 19.0 personal fouls per game, translating to an allowed free-throw rate firmly in the bottom third nationally, ranking 266th.
That presents an opportunity Wisconsin basketball could take advantage of. UW’s 77.8% free-throw shooting percentage is the 16th-best in the country. Boyd, John Blackwell, and Nolan Winter’s ability to drive downhill and get to the free-throw line has been instrumental to the Badgers’ success this season. This season, UW has made 17.2 free throws per game, which would be its best mark since making 17.8 per contest during its 1971-72 campaign.
Winter, in particular, should look to capitalize on a matchup advantage. The 7-foot Badgers big man could take advantage of an Indiana roster that lacks a player standing taller than 6-foot-10.
Winter is up to 10 double-doubles this season, putting him in rarified air. Only he, Frank Kaminsky, and Ethan Happ have logged 10+ double-doubles (or, double-double in double-figures, if you will) for UW in a single season since 2000.
Why to watch: The road ahead only gets harder from here
Since Wisconsin dropped back-to-back games against Nebraska and Villanova in December, it feels as if Wisconsin basketball turned a corner. Since then, the Badgers are 9-2 and have won seven of their past eight.
Now, Wisconsin has to prove the past month has been more than smoke and mirrors against a relatively easy schedule to open conference play.
Including its upcoming matchup with Indiana, UW is a projected underdog according to BartTorvik in seven of its final nine games of the regular season. A projected record of 20-11 would likely put the Badgers safely in the NCAA Tournament picture, but a team perceived to be slumping ahead of the postseason would be something Wisconsin fans are loudly all too familiar with.
Earning a Quad 1-A win at Assembly Hall would make UW’s closing stretch of the regular season appear far less daunting.
How, when, where to watch Wisconsin basketball at Indiana: TV, streaming, radio
When: Saturday, February 7th, 11:00 a.m. Central
Where: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall — Indiana University Bloomington — Bloomington, Indiana
Watch/TV: FOX (Play-by-play: Kevin Kugler; Analyst: LaPhonso Ellis)
Listen/Radio: Badger Radio Sports Network // Sirius XM 381 (Play-by-play: Matt LePay; Analyst: Charlie Willis)
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