Top-25 foes collide in Big Ten brawl

A top-25 showdown is on tap in Madison this ranked Wisconsin Badgers play host to the 16th-ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Big Ten action from the Kohl Center.

Tom Crean's Hoosiers were one of the real surprise teams in the country prior to league play, as they won their first 12 games of the season. Big Ten play has presented a different set of challenges however, as Indiana has split its first eight games in-conference. The team was able to end a three-game slide last weekend with a 73-54 pasting of Penn State.

Bo Ryan's Badgers are once again one of the top defensive teams in the nation and that has served them well en route to a 16-5 overall mark and a 5-3 ledger in the Big Ten. Wisconsin comes into this contest with a four-game win streak in tow, following a tough 67-63 road win at Illinois last weekend.

Indiana holds a 94-63 lead in the all-time series with Wisconsin, but the Badgers have won eight straight in the series and haven't lost to the Hoosiers since 2007.

An offensive-minded team, Indiana is averaging 79.8 ppg and ranks sixth nationally in field-goal percentage (.500) and second in three-point accuracy (.449). Five players are averaging double figures, including four starters. Freshman Cody Zeller leads the charge up front with 15.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Christian Watford adds 12.6 ppg and joins Jordan Hulls (12.4 ppg) as a potent one-two punch from three-point range. The pair have combined for 78 of the team's 145 three-pointers to date. Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey give the team a couple of extra options at the offensive end with 10.5 and 10.0 ppg, respectively. In the lopsided win over Penn State, Indiana shot a sizzling .533 from the floor, including 62.5 percent in the second half to run away with the game. Zeller led the charge with 18 points. Hulls added 14, followed by Watford's 11.

Wisconsin will counter with the nation's top defense. The Badgers lead the country in both scoring defense (49.6 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (.359). In addition, the team also boasts of a +4.2 rebounding margin and is among the top teams in the country in turnovers, committing just 9.0 miscues per game. Offensively, the team is led by playmaker Jordan Taylor. The 6-1 senior can do a little bit of everything, leading the team in scoring (14.1 ppg) and assists (4.4 apg), while also pulling down just over four rebounds per game. Jared Berggren is next in the scoring column at 11.0 ppg, while Ryan Evans and Ben Brust chip in with 9.7 and 9.5 ppg, respectively. The Badgers fought hard in earning the three-point win at Illinois last time out. Trailing by four points with only nine minutes left in the game, Wisconsin went on a 7-0 run to establish the lead and earn the win. Taylor, who scored just five points in the first half, tacked on 14 after the break to finish with a game-high 19 points. Berggren netted 18 points in support, while Brust chipped in with nine off the bench.