The Badgers will travel to Champaign Sunday to take on the Fighting Illini as they look to finish the Big Ten regular season on a high note before beginning postseason play.
Earlier this season Illinois got the best of Wisconsin at the Kohl Center, defeating the Badgers 63-56 and becoming the first squad under UW head coach Bo Ryan's tenure to down Wisconsin on its home floor as an unranked opponent. Before that contest, Ryan was 51-0 against unranked teams at home.
Much has changed since that Feb. 9 contest. After defeating Wisconsin, the Illini improved to 9-3 in the Big Ten and were within one game of the conference lead. But since beating the Badgers, Illinois (10-7 Big Ten, 22-7 overall) has dropped four of its last five games and is now fighting for its NCAA Tournament life.
On the other hand, No. 17 Wisconsin (12-5, 22-7) has a chance to enter the Big Ten Tournament with momentum, as the Badgers have won four its five games since falling to the Illini.
Despite playing this game on the road, the Badgers have reason to be confident this time around against Illinois, as they now have a healthy Jon Leuer. The junior forward did not play in the two teams' first meeting, but has now played four games since returning from a wrist injury. And after starting slow in his first several games back, Leuer appears to now be back in shape after scoring 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the floor against Iowa.
""With every game, you get more confidence and experience,"" Leuer said after Wisconsin's 67-40 win over Iowa Wednesday. ""I didn't play how I wanted to in the Minnesota game but it was the first game back. I was working the rust off and being a little tentative. Now I'm playing with the guys and it just feels more natural and more fluid. It feels like our whole offense is in a rhythm and it makes it easier to play the game.""
Ryan said he also thinks Leuer is progressing well.
""I think each game he's looked a little more comfortable in recognizing game speeds and reactions,"" Ryan said.
The addition of Leuer should help out the Badgers Sunday, but they will still have to find a way to limit the offensive production of junior guard Demetri McCamey, who is scoring a team-high 15.1 points and averaging 6.9 assists per game and this season. And in the first game between these two teams, McCamey scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-17 shooting, and hit some backbreaking shots for UW down the final stretch.
Junior Mike Tisdale is also a player UW must keep an eye on. Tisdale, a 7'1"" center, is scoring 11.5 points per game this season, and hit 8 of his 11 shots from the floor earlier this season against Wisconsin.
Both Illinois and Wisconsin have been eliminated from the Big Ten title race after Ohio State defeated the Illini earlier this week. With Wisconsin currently fourth in the conference and Illinois fifth, it is likely these two teams will turn around and face each other next Friday in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
The game tips off at 1 p.m. on Sunday and can be seen on ESPN.
