Gameday Guide: Wisconsin men's basketball vs. Maryland preview

The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is coming off a pivotal road win against in-state rival Marquette over the weekend. 

Back at the Kohl Center on Tuesday night, the Badgers are hoping to improve upon their 6-2 overall record and snag their first Big Ten win of the 2022-2023 season with the Maryland Terrapins (8-0 overall) coming to town. 

With that in mind, here is a preview of Wisconsin versus Maryland to help prepare for Tuesday night's Big Ten clash. 

Game details and television information

• Wisconsin Badgers (6-2 overall) vs. Maryland Terrapins (8-0 overall)
• Tip time is set for 8 p.m. CST at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin.
• The game will be aired on ESPN2
• Matt Lepay will have the call on 1310 WIBA
• Live stats

Betting info

• The game is essentially a pick 'em according to SI Sportsbook, with the Badgers favored by half a point
• The over/under is set at 129.5

Series history

Wisconsin and Maryland have played 14 times since 2000, with the Badgers holding a 9-5 advantage in the series. UW has won the past two matchups and four of the last five contests between the two teams. 

The Badgers came away with a 1-point win in College Park a year ago behind 21 points and five rebounds by Tyler Wahl. 

Maryland season overview

The Terrapins enter Tuesday night undefeated this year, with an average margin of victory of nearly 20 points per game. 

After four relatively easy games to begin the year, Maryland has recently beaten Miami (FL), Louisville, and Illinois to propel themselves up to No. 13 in the updated AP Poll. Already holding a Big Ten win after taking down Illinois on Friday, the Terps are No. 6 in the NET Rankings. 

Maryland does the majority of their damage offensive inside the three-point arc, shooting almost 50% from the floor overall but just 32.8% from three. 

Top scorers

Wisconsin

• Tyler Wahl (F): 14.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game
• Chucky Hepburn (G): 12.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game
• Connor Essegian (G): 10.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and one assist per game

Maryland

• Donta Scott (F): 15.4 points, six rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game
• Jahmir Young (G): 15.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game
• Hakim Hart (G): 13.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game

The biggest question for Wisconsin

Coming off another great performance against Marquette, which featured a critical step-back three late in regulation, it will be fascinating to see if Chucky Hepburn can maintain his strong play. 

Hepburn missed a big chunk of the second half against the Golden Eagles with a lower-body injury, but that didn't stop him from scoring a total of 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from deep. Averaging nearly 20 points per game over his last three games, Hepburn has shown just how valuable he is for Wisconsin on both ends of the court recently, as Marquette made a big comeback while he was in the locker room. 

So that begs the question, just how healthy will he be on Tuesday night? With multiple days to recover, the expectation is that Hepburn will be in a much better place, but he was clearly limited at times in the second half against the Marquette when he returned from the locker room. With an athletic Maryland team coming to town, the Badgers will need everything he has, and his injury status will go a long way in determining his effectiveness. He's found his shooting stroke from three lately, the hope has to be that the trend continues for Greg Gard and the Badgers. 

Game notes

• Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard holds a 7-4 overall record against Maryland, and is 3-2 versus the Terps at the Kohl Center. 
• The last time these two teams met in Madison, Maryland came away with a 70-64 win over the Badgers in 2020. Wisconsin has won back-to-back since. 
• This game will mark the first meeting between Greg Gard and Kevin Willard since he took over the Maryland job back in March. Williard previously coached at Seton Hall for several years and also spent time at Iona and Louisville. 

• Wisconsin comes into the game averaging 64 points per game and holding opponents to 57 per contest. Maryland on the other hand is averaging nearly 81 points and allowing 61 points per game. 
• After winning by double-digits in their first three games, the last five games for the Badgers have been decided by a total of 13 points. 

Related links:

• Wisconsin basketball signs three scholarship players on National Signing Day
• Game notes and top plays from Wisconsin vs. Marquette
• Wisconsin versus Marquette game recap

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