The California Golden Bears continue an extended seven-game homestand on Monday, as they play host to the Wisconsin Badgers at Haas Pavilion.
Cuonzo Martin's Golden Bears have won 10 of their first 11 games on the season. California's lone loss came against top-10 foe Texas (71-55) back on Nov. 21. The team has reeled off seven straight wins since, including a 78-67 victory over Eastern Washington on Friday.
Bo Ryan's Badgers have certainly looked the part of a top-five team, save for a tough loss to Duke (78-70) as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge back on Dec. 3. Wisconsin has been idle for nine days, but has righted the ship since the Duke loss with three consecutive victories, including an 86-43 rout of Nicholls back on Dec. 13.
California holds a 5-3 edge in the all-time series with Wisconsin, although it was UW with the win in the last meeting, an 81-56 lopsided affair in Madison back in 2012.
After scoring a season-high 93 points in the game prior, Wisconsin maintained its offensive edge, netting 86 in the 43-point romp over Nicholls last time out. The Badgers shot an eye-popping 70-4 percent from the floor in the first half and effectively won the game in that stanza, taking a 47-15 lead into intermission, before cruising to victory. Five Badgers managed double figures in the onslaught, led by Sam Dekker's 17 points. Josh Gasser added 14 points, followed by Nigel Hayes (12 pts), Frank Kaminsky (10 pts) and Vitto Brown (10 pts).
Despite showcasing some serious scoring punch of late, Wisconsin is still a team that is fueled by stingy defense. The Badgers are among the nation's best in terms of scoring defense (51.7 ppg), while holding foes to just .383 shooting. In addition, the team lives comfortable in terms of rebounding (+8.3) and turnover (+4.5) margins. The 7-foot Kaminsky is one of the top big men in the country, averaging 16.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while showing surprising range (second on the team with 14 3-pointers). Dekker and Hayes are also sporting double-digit scoring averages with 11.8 and 11.7 ppg, respectively.
The Golden Bears have also adopted a defensive mindset this season. California is limiting foes to just 59.4 ppg and holding them well under 40 percent shooting (.374), including a meager .291 from behind the arc. Tyrone Wallace is the team's anchor at the point, with the ability to do it all. He is averaging a near double-double with 19.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and also leads the team with 4.4 assists per outing. Jordan Mathews (13.0 ppg), and David Kravish (10.5 ppg) provide scoring depth and have been vital of late with a foot injury suffered by Jabari Bird (11.7 ppg) that has kept the guard sidelined.
[SportsNetwork.com]
