Explore the Wisconsin Badgers’ 2018-19 men’s basketball schedule | Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball

COPPIN STATE

NOV. 6 KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Coppin State went 5-27 in Juan Dixon’s first season, including 5-11 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Dixon’s debut season began with 17 consecutive defeats before a 79-78 double-overtime win over Florida A&M. Prior to arriving at Coppin State, Dixon went 3-25 in one season as the women’s basketball coach at the University of the District of Columbia. Dixon is the all-time leading scorer at Maryland and helped the Terrapins to a national title in 2002, a run that included a 29-point effort in an 87-57 win over UW in the second round.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior forward Lamar Morgan averaged 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds in his first season with the Eagles, earning third-team All-MEAC honors. Morgan scored 30 points in a loss to UConn and hit that mark again in a loss to Hampton. Prior to Coppin State, Morgan spent two seasons at Mineral Area College.

SCOUTING REPORT

Coppin State, which is located in Baltimore, hasn’t had a winning season since going 16-14 in 2010-11. … The Eagles ranked last among 351 teams nationally last season in adjusted offensive efficiency. … Sophomore guard Dejuan Clayton began last season as a preseason All-MEAC pick but was limited to six games due to a shoulder injury. He averaged 12.4 points and a team-high 3.1 assists as a freshman.

XAVIER

NOV. 13 | CINTAS CENTER IN CINCINNATI, OHIO

COACH’S CORNER

Travis Steele takes over a Xavier program that has made it to the NCAA tournament 16 times in the past 18 seasons. Steele takes over for Chris Mack, who left for Louisville after going 215-97 in nine seasons with the Musketeers. Steele has spent the past 10 seasons at Xavier, including nine as an assistant under Mack after one serving one year as a director of basketball operations under Sean Miller. Steele is the half-brother of John Groce, who coaches at Akron and had previous stops at Ohio and Illinois.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Quentin Goodin is the leading returning scorer at 8.7 points per game. He also averaged a team-leading 4.9 assists per game last season and was the only Xavier player to start all 35 games. Goodin finished with 10 points and a career-high 12 assists in a home loss to Villanova.

SCOUTING REPORT

Xavier went 29-6 overall last season and won the Big East regular-season title with a 15-3 mark, but it must replace its top three scorers from that team: Trevon Bluiett (19.3), J.P. Macura (12.9) and Kerem Kanter (10.9). … The coaching staff is hoping for better things two players who contributed as two freshmen last season, forward Naji Marshall (7.7) and guard Paul Scruggs. … Steele added three graduate transfers to the roster: forward Ryan Welage, who averaged 18.1 points at San Jose State; center Zach Hankins, who averaged 14.9 points and 9.9 rebounds at Division II Ferris State; and guard Kyle Castlin, who averaged 10.5 points at Columbia.

HOUSTON BAPTIST

NOV. 17 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Ron Cottrell, the sixth-longest tenured coach in Division I, is 475-389 in 27 seasons at Houston Baptist. The Huskies were an NAIA power under Cottrell until the program made a transition to the NCAA ranks in 2008. A former assistant under Nolan Richardson at Arkansas, Cottrell favors an up-tempo offense and pressure defense. The Huskies ranked 14th nationally in adjusted tempo last season, though they struggled to a 6-25 overall record that included a 2-16 mark in the Southland Conference.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior Josh Ibarra, a 6-foot-11 center, received a medical redshirt after being limited to nine games last season due to a foot injury. Ibarra averaged 17.9 points and 11.3 rebounds in eight games before getting injured early in a loss at Texas-San Antonio. He earned second-team All-Southland honors in 2016-17 after averaging 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds. He enters his fifth season at Houston Baptist with 909 points and 634 rebounds in his career.

SCOUTING REPORT

In addition to Ibarra, the Huskies return three other players who averaged double digits in scoring last season: sophomore guard Ian Dubose (12.5), junior guard Jalen Gates (11.5) and fifth-year senior guard Braxton Bonds (10.3). Bonds began his career at Tennessee. … The roster took a major hit when forward David Caraher decided to transfer to St. John’s. Caraher was named the Southland Freshman of the Year after averaging 16.2 points and 7.2 rebounds last season.

STANFORD − BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS

NOV. 21 | BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS | IMPERIAL ARENA IN PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS

COACH’S CORNER

Jerod Haase is 33-33 in two seasons with the Cardinal. He took over for Johnny Dawkins, who reached the NCAA tournament one time in eight seasons at Stanford. Haase started 99 games at Kansas from 1994-97 and later served as an assistant under Roy Williams at Kansas and North Carolina. Prior to arriving at Stanford, Haase went 80-53 in four seasons at Alabama-Birmingham.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Point guard Daejon Davis started 33 games as a true freshman, averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 rebounds. He led the team with 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game but also committed a team-high 132 turnovers. Davis had at least five turnovers in 13 games, including 11 in a loss to Portland State.

SCOUTING REPORT

Stanford’s hopes of returning to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014 took a hit in June when forward Reid Travis bolted to Kentucky as a graduate transfer. Travis averaged 19.5 points and 8.7 rebounds as a junior. The Cardinal also must replace guard Dorian Pickens (15.1 ppg) and forward Michael Humphrey (10.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg). … Josh Sharma, a 7-foot senior center, was recruited by UW. He’s averaging 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 76 career games. … Junior swingman Marcus Sheffield is back after sitting out last season with a leg injury. Sheffield averaged 6.7 points as a sophomore, scoring a career-high 35 points in a loss to Arizona State.

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS − DAY 2

NOV. 22 | IMPERIAL ARENA IN PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS

OKLAHOMA

COACH’S CORNER

Lon Kruger is 140-91 with five trips to the NCAA tournament in seven seasons at Oklahoma, including a run to the Final Four in 2016. The Sooners are coming off an 18-14 season that included an 8-10 mark in the Big 12. Oklahoma was 14-2 at one point and climbed as high as No. 4 in The Associated Press Top 25 poll, but it ended the season with 12 losses in its final 16 games and went one-and-done in both the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior guard Christian James averaged a career-high 11.9 points per game last season. After averaging 15.9 points over his final seven regular-season games — including a career-high 23 points in a loss at Texas Tech — James went a combined 2 of 11 from the field in two postseason games.

SCOUTING REPORT

Oklahoma relied heavily last season on freshman guard Trae Young, who led the nation in scoring and assists before leaving for the NBA after one season in Norman. The Sooners’ guard depth took more hits in the offseason when two players — Kameron McGusty (Miami) and Jordan Shepherd (Charlotte) — decided to transfer. Kruger is hoping graduate transfers Aaron Calixte (Maine) and Miles Reynolds (Pacific) can help out James in the backcourt. … This could be the fourth meeting in five seasons. After the Badgers beat the Sooners 69-56 in the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis title game, the teams split home-and-home games the following two seasons.

− OR −

FLORIDA 

COACH’S CORNER

Mike White is 69-37 in three seasons at Florida, with two trips to the NCAA tournament. White led the Gators to the Elite Eight in 2017, a run that included an 84-83 overtime win over UW in the Sweet 16. Florida went 21-13 overall last season and finished third in the SEC with an 11-7 mark.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior guard Jalen Hudson averaged a team-leading 15.5 points in his first season with the Gators. Hudson, who began his career at Virginia Tech, shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range, making 78 of his 193 attempts. He scored at least 20 points in eight games, including 35 in a double-overtime victory over Gonzaga.

SCOUTING REPORT

Florida must replace point guard Chris Chiozza, whose buzzer-beating 3-pointer was the difference in the Gators’ win over the Badgers two seasons ago. Five-star recruit Andrew Nembhard is the heir apparent to Chiozza, the program’s all-time leader in assists. … Senior guard KeVaughn Allen averaged 11.6 points last season, down from 14.0 the previous campaign. Allen’s 3-point percentage fell from 37.0 as a sophomore to 31.5 in 2017-18. … Injuries depleted Florida’s frontcourt last season and contributed to the Gators struggling on the glass. Senior Kevarrius Hayes and junior Keith Stone need to be more consistent.

BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS − DAY 3

+1 

NOV. 23 | IMPERIAL ARENA IN PARADISE ISLAND, BAHAMAS 

BUTLER

COACH’S CORNER

LaVall Jordan went 21-14 in his first season at Butler, including 9-9 in the Big East. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season, falling to Purdue in the second round. Jordan returned to his alma mater after going 11-24 in his only season at UW-Milwaukee. He took over at Butler after Chris Holtmann left for Ohio State.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Kamar Baldwin averaged 15.7 points per game last season for the Bulldogs. He averaged 20.5 in four postseason games, scoring 32 against Seton Hall in the Big East tournament and 24 against Arkansas in an NCAA tournament opener.

SCOUTING REPORT

Butler must replace Kelan Martin, who led the team with 21.2 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. Martin was the second-leading scorer in the Big East in 2017-18 and finished his career with over 2,000 points. … Sophomore forward Jordan Tucker will be eligible at the end of first semester. Tucker appeared in only two games for Duke last season before transferring. He was ranked 40th in the 2017 recruiting class by ESPN. … Junior forward Bryce Nze will sit out this season after transferring from UW-Milwaukee. Nze averaged 10.3 points and a team-best 8.5 rebounds last season for the Panthers.

− OR −

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

COACH’S CORNER

Nick McDevitt takes over the Blue Raiders after five seasons at North Carolina-Asheville, where he went 98-66 and led the program to the NCAA tournament in 2016. McDevitt has big shoes to fill after replacing Kermit Davis, who left for Mississippi. Davis went 332-188 in 16 seasons at Middle Tennessee and led the Blue Raiders to first-round upsets over Michigan State (2016) and Minnesota (2017) in back-to-back NCAA tournaments.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Antonio Green sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. As a sophomore at Texas-Rio Grande Valley, Green averaged 16.7 points per game and led the Western Athletic Conference with 111 connections from 3-point range. He went 10 of 14 from beyond the arc during a 30-point performance against Grambling early that season.

SCOUTING REPORT

Not only is Middle Tennessee replacing its coaching staff, it also underwent a roster overhaul during the offseason. The top six scorers are gone from a team that went 25-8 overall and finished first in Conference USA with a 16-2 record, including forward Nick King (21.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg). King and two others exhausted their eligibility, while two players were granted their release from the team after Davis’ departure and another was dismissed from the program. … McDevitt did get some good news leading into his first season: Junior forward Reggie Scurry and freshman guard Junior Farquhar are eligible to play after receiving NCAA waivers. Scurry averaged 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds in 21 games last season at Missouri State.

− OR −

NO. 5 VIRGINIA

+1 

COACH’S CORNER

Tony Bennett is 219-86 in nine seasons at Virginia. The Cavaliers have won three ACC regular-season titles under Bennett, including last season with a 17-1 mark. Virginia entered the NCAA tournament with a program-record 31 victories but became the first No. 1 seed ever to lose a first-round game, falling 74-54 to Maryland-Baltimore County.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Kyle Guy led the Cavaliers with 14.1 points per game last season. Guy shot 39.2 percent from 3-point range and 82.4 percent from the free throw line. He scored 17 points in a 49-37 victory over visiting UW in an ACC/Big Ten Challenge game.

SCOUTING REPORT

The Cavs have been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in three of the past five seasons. … Junior guard Ty Jerome averaged 10.6 points last season, up from 4.3 his freshman campaign. Also returning for Virginia is sophomore forward De’Andre Hunter, who was named the ACC’s Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 9.2 points per game. Hunter missed the NCAA tournament defeat with a broken wrist. … Virginia led the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency and must replace two key pieces of that success: guard Devon Hall and forward Isaiah Wilkins. … The only senior on the roster is center Jack Salt, a New Zealand native who is set to enter his fifth season in the program and averaged 3.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 2017-18.

− OR −

DAYTON

COACH’S CORNER

Anthony Grant went 14-17 in his first season at Dayton, including 8-10 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. It ended a run of 11 consecutive winning seasons for the Flyers. Grant, who was hired after Archie Miller left for Indiana, had previous stops at VCU and Alabama.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior forward Josh Cunningham was a third-team All-Atlantic 10 selection last season after leading the Flyers with 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Cunningham, who began his career at Bradley, posted 10 double-doubles and had monster performances against Ohio (18 points, 19 rebounds), Akron (20-16), Georgia State (29-18) and Rhode Island (32-12).

SCOUTING REPORT

Dayton returns four of its top five scorers from 2017-18. The Flyers must replace guard Darrell Davis (15.4 ppg) along with Kostas Antetokounmpo, a former Whitefish Bay Dominican athlete. The younger brother of Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo left Dayton after one season and was the final pick of the 2018 NBA draft. … Junior guard Trey Landers, who averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, and UW sophomore guard D’Mitrik Trice were high school teammates in Ohio. … Dayton added a pair of Big Ten transfers during the offseason: Michigan guard Ibi Watson and center Jordy Tshimanga. Both players will sit out this season. … Sophomore point guard Jalen Crutcher made the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team last season.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE

NOV. 27 | ACC/BIG TEN CHALLENGE | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

The Wolfpack went 21-12 in Kevin Keatts’ first season, including 11-7 in the ACC. Their season ended with a 94-83 loss to Seton Hall in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Prior to North Carolina State, Keatts went 72-28 in three seasons at North Carolina-Wilmington. He led the Seahawks to three Colonial Athletic Association regular-season titles and two trips to the NCAA tournament.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior Torin Dorn was second on the team last season with 13.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-5 Dorn, an undersized forward, registered five double-doubles as a junior, including an 18-point, 12-rebound performance in the loss to Seton Hall. Dorn’s father, also named Torin, spent time with the Los Angeles Raiders and St. Louis Rams during seven years as an NFL cornerback.

SCOUTING REPORT

Dorn, sophomore guard Braxton Beverly (9.5 ppg) and junior guard Markell Johnson (8.9 ppg, 7.3 apg) are the only returnees from last season. Keatts will rely heavily on newcomers, including a handful of transfers. … Junior forward Wyatt Walker, a graduate transfer from Samford, had UW among his finalists in the spring before choosing North Carolina State. Walker missed all but two games last season with a leg injury after averaging 12.9 points and 9.7 rebounds as a sophomore in 2016-17. … The Wolfpack should feature a deep backcourt. Joining Beverly and Johnson are transfers C.J. Bryce (North Carolina-Wilmington) and Devon Daniels (Utah). Another backcourt transfer, Blake Harris (Missouri) will be eligible to play after sitting out the first semester.

IOWA

NOV. 30 | CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA IN IOWA CITY

MARCH 7 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Fran McCaffery enters his ninth season at Iowa with a 151-120 record. The Hawkeyes have gone back-to-back seasons without reaching the NCAA tournament and were 14-19 last season, including 4-14 in Big Ten play, despite returning four starters. McCaffery, who had stops at Lehigh, North Carolina-Greensboro and Siena prior to arriving in Iowa City, won his 400th career game last season.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior forward Tyler Cook was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten selection last season while leading the Hawkeyes with 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Cook, who went through the NBA draft evaluation process this offseason, scored at least 20 points nine times and posted seven double-doubles. “The critical thing is when you come back, to come back with the right attitude,” McCaffery said. “He has really impressed me from that standpoint.”

SCOUTING REPORT

The Hawkeyes return their top nine scorers from last season. That group includes junior guard Jordan Bohannon, who averaged 13.5 points and was second in the Big Ten with 5.4 assists per game. Sophomore center Luka Garza (12.1) and junior guard Isaiah Moss (11.1) also averaged in double figures in 2017-18. Garza, who averaged 22.5 points and 10.3 rebounds during Iowa’s four-game trip to Europe in August, underwent surgery to remove a benign cyst in his abdomen in September. … Joe Wieskamp, a 6-6 freshman guard, was ranked No. 71 in the 2018 recruiting class by ESPN. … The Hawkeyes ranked last among Big Ten teams and 242nd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency last season. Improving on that end of the court was the main priority during the offseason. “I think you’ll see marked improvement,” McCaffery said.

THE NUMBER

185 | Career 3-pointers for Bohannon, the younger brother of former UW athletes Jason and Zach Bohannon. Jordan Bohannon is shooting 42.3 percent from 3-point range at Iowa.

RUTGERS

DEC. 3 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

The Scarlet Knights are 30-37, including 6-30 in Big Ten play, in two seasons under Steve Pikiell. Rutgers ended the 2017-18 regular season with 10 defeats in its final 11 games, but it made a run in the Big Ten tournament with wins over Minnesota and Indiana. “We’re trying to just get better as a basketball program in the best league night in, night out in the country,” Pikiell said.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Sophomore guard Geo Baker averaged 10.8 points and 2.6 assists in his first season with the Scarlet Knights. Baker scored 25 points in a loss to Purdue in a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal. After splitting time at both guard spots as a freshman, Baker will play the point exclusively this season, according to his coach. “With the ball in his hands, he really knows how to play,” Pikiell said. “He’s got a little swagger about him. He’s showing great signs of being a good leader.”

SCOUTING REPORT

Rutgers has registered 12 consecutive losing seasons since going 20-13 in 2003-04. … Guard Corey Sanders, who led the Scarlet Knights in scoring and assists in each the past three seasons, wasn’t selected in the NBA draft after leaving Rutgers with one season of eligibility remaining. The program also must replace forward Deshawn Freeman, who averaged 11.1 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds last season. … Sophomore guard Peter Kiss, a transfer from Quinnipiac, is expected to help pick up some of the scoring load. Kiss averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a true freshman in 2016-17. … Rutgers now has two players named Shaq in its frontcourt: senior Shaquille Doorson, who started four games last season; and junior Shaq Carter, a junior college transfer.

THE NUMBER

9-63 | Rutgers’ record in Big Ten regular-season play since joining the conference in 2014.

MARQUETTE

DEC. 8 | FISERV FORUM IN MILWAUKEE

COACH’S CORNER

Steve Wojciechowski is 73-59 with one NCAA tournament appearance in four seasons at Marquette. The Golden Eagles are seeking their first NCAA tournament win since going to the Elite Eight in 2013 under Buzz Williams. Marquette went 21-14 last season, including 9-9 in Big East play, and fell to Penn State in the quarterfinals of the NIT.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Markus Howard shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range and 93.8 percent from the free throw line while averaging 20.4 points per game last season. Howard topped the 30-point mark, including 52 in an overtime win over Providence. He went 11 of 19 from beyond the arc in that game and 11 of 15 from 3-point range against Chicago State earlier in the season.

SCOUTING REPORT

Junior forward Sam Hauser, who averaged 14.1 points and shot 48.7 percent from beyond the arc in 2017-18, missed most of the offseason after undergoing hip surgery. He will be joined in the frontcourt this season by his younger brother Joey, a top-50 recruit who was a big target for UW in its 2018 recruiting class. … While Marquette loses Andrew Rowsey, who averaged 20.5 points per game as a senior, it helped fill the void with Joseph Chartouny. The graduate transfer from Fordham averaged 12.2 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds while leading the nation with 3.3 steals per game last season. Chartouny should provide a lift to a program that ranked 182nd nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. … Marquette also should get a boost from another transfer: Junior forward Ed Morrow averaged 9.4 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds at Nebraska in 2016-17.

SAVANNAH STATE

DEC. 13 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

The Tigers are 171-288 in 13 seasons under Horace Broadnax. They finished last season with a 15-17 overall record but went 12-4 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play to share the regular-season title with Bethune-Cookman and Hampton. The Tigers’ season ended with an upset loss to North Carolina Central in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament. Broadnax was a point guard on the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown team that won a national title in 1984. The Hoyas went 115-24 in Broadnax’s four seasons on campus.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Zach Sellers averaged 10.3 points last season. He scored 21 points in a 107-100 win at Florida A&M, going 8 of 8 from the field and 3 of 3 from the free throw line.

SCOUTING REPORT

Savannah State led the nation last season in adjusted tempo. However, it must replace three double-digit scorers from a team that averaged 86.1 points per game. … Dexter McClanahan scored 1,098 in three seasons with the Tigers, leading the team with 16.4 points per game as a sophomore in 2016-17 and with 15.6 last season. But McClanahan left the program in May and transferred to Nicholls State for his final season. … Ty’Lik Evans, a 5-foot-7 junior guard, is Savannah State’s second-leading returning scorer at 8.3 points per game.

GRAMBLING STATE

DEC. 22 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Grambling State went 17-14 in its first season under Donte Jackson, the program’s first winning record since going 14-13 in 2005-06. The Tigers went 13-5 to finish first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference but were ineligible for postseason play due to low Academic Progress Rate scores. Jackson is a Milwaukee native who played at Hamilton High School. He spent one season at UW-Milwaukee, averaging 1.1 points.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Ivy Smith Jr. led the Tigers with 16.7 points, 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season. Smith had 32 points and nine rebounds in an overtime win at Alabama A&M late in the season. He also had a stretch during conference play in which he scored at least 20 points in five consecutive games.

SCOUTING REPORT

Grambling State has two Milwaukee natives on its roster: junior forwards Devante Jackson and Dallas Polk-Hilliard. Jackson, who played at Brown Deer, averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds last season. Polk-Hilliard, who played at Messmer, joined the Tigers midway through the 2017-18 campaign after transferring from South Dakota State. Assistant coach Demetrius Moore also is a Milwaukee native. A 2001 graduate of Milwaukee Washington, Moore spent 13 seasons on the AAU circuit with the Milwaukee Rebels, coaching future Division I standouts Kevon Looney and Elgin Cook. … The Tigers return seven of their top 10 players from last season. That group includes junior guard Anthony Gaston (9.3 ppg) and senior forward Axel Mpoyo (7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg).

WESTERN KENTUCKY

DEC. 29 | E.A. DIDDLE ARENA IN BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY

COACH’S CORNER

Rick Stansbury is 42-28 in two seasons at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers went 27-11 overall last season and finished third in Conference USA with a 14-4 record. They advanced to the semifinals of the postseason NIT before falling to Utah. Stansbury spent 14 seasons at Mississippi State from 1998-2012, going 293-166 with six trips to the NCAA tournament.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Sophomore guard Taveion Hollingsworth averaged 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 48 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from 3-point range and 79.1 percent from the free throw line last season. He set program records for points scored (506), minutes played (1,312) and games started (38) by a freshman. Hollingsworth scored a career-high 30 points in an overtime win at North Texas and matched that output during a double-overtime win over Oklahoma State in an NIT quarterfinal.

SCOUTING REPORT

Hennssy Auriantal, who played guard for the Badgers from 1995-99, is in his first season on Stansbury’s staff. Auriantal is the legal guardian of Hilltoppers freshman Charles Bassey, a 6-foot-11 center who was ranked No. 18 overall in the 2018 recruiting class by ESPN. … Another key newcomer for Western Kentucky is graduate transfer DeSean Murray, a senior forward who averaged 10.1 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds at Auburn last season. … Lamonte Bearden, a fifth-year senior guard who averaged 11.8 points last season, is ineligible for the first semester for academic reasons. Bearden, a former Germantown standout, entered his name in the NBA draft in the spring before deciding to return to school.

PENN STATE

JAN. 6 | BRYCE JORDAN CENTER IN STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA

MARCH 2 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Patrick Chambers is 113-122 in seven seasons at Penn State. The 2017-18 campaign was the program’s best by far under Chambers, with the Nittany Lions going 26-13 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten. But Chambers and Co. couldn’t get over the hump to reach the NCAA tournament, settling for a run to the NIT championship that included wins over Temple, Notre Dame, Marquette, Mississippi State and Utah. “The next step in our climb is to get to that next tournament,” Chambers said.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior forward Lamar Stevens averaged 15.5 points and 5.9 rebounds last season. Stevens had a strong NIT, matching his career high with 30 points in a quarterfinal win over Marquette and going 11 of 15 from the field during a 28-point performance in the final against Utah.

SCOUTING REPORT

Junior center Mike Watkins averaged 12.1 points last season and ranked second in the Big Ten in both rebounds (8.9) and blocked shots (2.3). Watkins, who missed the final nine games with a right knee injury, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia over the summer. Watkins and senior guard Josh Reaves were on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team last season. … Penn State has some big holes to fill in the backcourt, namely Tony Carr. The talented guard, who averaged 19.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.0 rebounds last season, left school after two years and became the first Penn State player to be drafted since 1999. But Carr ended up playing professionally in Italy despite being selected by the New Orleans Pelicans in the second round. Sophomore Jamari Wheeler will get the first crack at replacing Carr at point guard.

THE NUMBER

10 | Consecutive losses to UW for Penn State, which has won only two of the past 25 meetings.

PURDUE

JAN. 11 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Matt Painter is 295-149 in 13 seasons at Purdue. The Boilermakers have increased their win total in each of the past four seasons, going from 15 to 21 to 26 to 27 to a 30-7 mark last season. Purdue finished second in the Big Ten with a 15-3 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. The season ended with a 78-65 loss to Texas Tech.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Carsen Edwards exploded last season, averaging 18.5 points to rank third in the Big Ten in that category. Edwards had a 40-point outburst in a win at Illinois and finished with 30 in the loss to Texas Tech. “He’s kind of been our point guard in transition (in the past); now, he’ll have more responsibilities there,” Painter said of Edwards, the preseason player of the year in the Big Ten. “But I never want to take away from his ability to score, because I think that’s a threat we can have 40 minutes every single night.”

SCOUTING REPORT

Edwards is the only returning starter for Purdue, which has to replace a group of four seniors — Isaac Haas, Vince Edwards, Dakota Mathias and P.J. Thompson — who combined to average 48.8 points in 2017-18. … One player who should complement Carsen Edwards is junior forward Evan Boudreaux, a graduate transfer who averaged 17.6 points and 9.5 rebounds over two seasons at Dartmouth. … Guard Ryan Cline has spent his first three seasons coming off the bench but should move into the starting lineup as a senior. Cline, a long-range specialist, averaged 4.0 points last season. … Sophomore guard Nigel Eastern also will have an expanded role this season. The 6-foot-6 Eastern, who is athletic and can guard multiple positions, averaged 2.9 points in 37 games as a freshman.

THE NUMBER

0-4 | Painter’s record in the Sweet 16.

MARYLAND

JAN. 14 | XFINITY CENTER IN COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND

FEB. 1 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

The Terrapins are 157-81 in seven seasons under Mark Turgeon. They went 19-13 last season, including 8-10 in the Big Ten and missed the postseason for the first time since 2014. Maryland’s roster this season includes only two upperclassmen on scholarship: senior forward Ivan Bender and junior point guard Anthony Cowan. “We might be the youngest team I’ve ever had,” Turgeon said. “But we’re talented, fun to coach, they’re working hard. We’re excited for the year. Should be a really a fun team to watch because of their skill set and their length, their ability to play together.”

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Cowan led the Terrapins with 15.8 points and 5.1 assists per game. He led the Big Ten in minutes per game at 37.0. Cowan reached double figures in all but two games as a sophomore and scored at least 20 points seven times.

SCOUTING REPORT

Two Maryland players left early for the NBA: Kevin Huerter, who averaged 14.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, was selected 19th overall by Atlanta; Justin Jackson, who was limited to 11 games last season due to a shoulder injury, was selected in the second round by Denver and traded to Orlando. … Forward Bruno Fernando had a terrific freshman campaign at Maryland, averaging 10.3 points and 6.5 rebounds. … The gem in a highly rated 2018 recruiting class for Maryland is forward Jalen Smith, ranked 10th overall by ESPN. Two other Maryland recruits — guards Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala — landed on ESPN’s Top 100 list. … Freshman guard Serrel Smith Jr. and UW freshman guard Tai Strickland were teammates at St. Petersburg High School in Florida.

THE NUMBER

3-8 | Maryland’s record last season in games decided by five or fewer points.

NO. 19 MICHIGAN

JAN. 19 | KOHL CENTER

FEB. 9 | CRISLER ARENA IN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

COACH’S CORNER

John Beilein is 248-143 in 11 seasons at Michigan. The Wolverines went 33-8 last season — setting a program record for wins — and advanced to the NCAA tournament title game. Villanova beat Michigan 79-62 in the title game, the Wolverines’ second runner-up finish in six seasons. Beilein underwent successful double-bypass heart surgery in August.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior guard Charles Matthews, who began his career at Kentucky, averaged 13.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in his first season with the Wolverines. Matthews flirted with leaving for the NBA but has to improve his shooting to have a chance to play at the next level. He shot 31.8 percent from 3-point range and 55.8 percent from the free throw line.

SCOUTING REPORT

Michigan has some big holes to fill, starting with forward Moritz Wagner, who left for the NBA after averaging 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds as a junior. … Junior point guard Zavier Simpson started 29 games last season, averaging 7.3 points and 3.7 assists per game. Simpson, like Matthews, needs work on his shot after making only 28.6 percent of his 3s and 51.6 percent of his free throw attempts. … Sophomore guard Jordan Poole, a Milwaukee native, averaged 6.0 points last season. Poole’s 3-pointer at the buzzer sent Michigan to the Sweet 16 with a 64-63 victory over Houston. … Michigan’s freshman class includes two top-100 recruits — forward Brandon Johnson Jr. and point guard David DeJulius. … The Wolverines were No. 3 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency ratings last season. “I think we have a chance to be a good defensive team again, but I think offensively we’re a work in progress,” Beilein said.

THE NUMBER

3,499 | Combined career points for the departed trio of Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and Duncan Robinson.

NEBRASKA

JAN. 29 | PINNACLE BANK ARENA IN LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

COACH’S CORNER

Tim Miles is 97-97 in six seasons with the Cornhuskers. Nebraska finished 13-5 in the Big Ten and 22-11 overall last season, matching the second-highest win total in program history, but it wasn’t enough to get the Huskers in the NCAA tournament. Miles’ team didn’t exactly make a strong case for itself by dropping a 66-59 decision to Mississippi State in the opening round of the NIT. Still, expectations are soaring in Lincoln because Nebraska returns its top four scorers from 2017-18.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior guard James Palmer Jr. averaged a team-high 17.2 points per game in his first season at Nebraska. Palmer, who began his career at Miami (Fla.), reached double figures in all but two games and exploded for 34 points in a loss at Ohio State. “One of the smartest players on the floor that I’ve coached in a long, long time,” Miles said. “He knows everything that’s going on, knows where everybody is supposed to be. You can tell him something on a counter and in a (short) amount of time, he picks it up, executes it just like you’ve been practicing it all week.”

SCOUTING REPORT

The last time Nebraska began a season with this much hype was in 2014-15 after it went 11-7 in the Big Ten and qualified for the NCAA tournament the previous year. That didn’t turn out well for the Huskers, who followed up their breakthrough campaign with 13-18 overall and 5-13 in conference play. … Center Jordy Tshimanga, who averaged 4.6 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game last season, left the program in June and transferred to Dayton. … In addition to Palmer, Nebraska returns two other double-digit scorers — senior forward Isaac Copeland (12.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and senior point guard Glynn Watson (10.5 ppg) — as well as versatile junior forward Isaiah Roby (8.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg).

THE NUMBER

0 | NCAA tournament wins for Nebraska, which is 0-7 in the Big Dance.

ILLINOIS

JAN. 23 | STATE FARM CENTER IN CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS 

FEB. 18 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Brad Underwood had a rocky debut season at Illinois, which went 14-18 overall and 4-14 in the Big Ten in 2017-18. Underwood had reached the NCAA tournament in his first four seasons as a head coach — three at Stephen F. Austin, one at Oklahoma State — but he inherited the mess left by John Groce in Champaign.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Sophomore guard Trent Frazier averaged 12.5 points last season. Frazier went 7 of 11 from 3-point range and finished with a career-high 32 points in a 78-69 home loss to UW. “I think one of the hardest challenges is you have a freshman that has a lot of success, and you’re always curious as to how they’ll react to that,” Underwood said. “The one thing that Trent has done is accepted some of the things that he didn’t do well. He’s allowed us to coach him.”

SCOUTING REPORT

Point guard Te’Jon Lucas was one of four rotation players to leave the program with eligibility remaining. Lucas returned to his hometown and will sit out this season at UW-Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Leron Black left to pursue a professional career. Black led the Illini with 15.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game last season. … The Illini’s roster includes eight newcomers. Graduate transfer Adonis De La Rosa, a 7-foot center, averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds at Kent State last season. … Illinois’ backcourt will be young but should be exciting with Frazier joined by true freshman Ayo Dosunmu, a Chicago native who is ranked No. 36 in the 2018 recruiting class by ESPN. … The Illini need part-time starters Kipper Nichols (10.0) and Aaron Jordan (7.9) to take on bigger roles.

THE NUMBER

47.2 | Field goal percentage for Illinois’ opponents last season. The Illini ranked last in the Big Ten in that category. 

NORTHWESTERN

JAN. 26 | KOHL CENTER

FEB. 23 | WELSH-RYAN ARENA IN EVANSTON, ILLINOIS

COACH’S CORNER

Northwestern is 88-77 in five seasons under Chris Collins. After a magical 2016-17 campaign in which the Wildcats went to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history, they came back to earth last season. Northwestern finished 15-17 overall and 6-12 in Big Ten play despite returning eight of its top 10 scorers.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior center Dererk Pardon averaged 11.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season. Pardon had 17 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to Nebraska.

SCOUTING REPORT

Northwestern is happy to once again have a place it can call home. The Wildcats played their home games at All-State Arena in Rosemont, 13 miles from campus, while Welsh-Ryan Arena was being renovated last season. … Senior forward Vic Law has 82 career starts entering his final season in Evanston. Law averaged 12.0 points and 5.8 rebounds last season. … The Wildcats have two big pieces to replace in the backcourt: Bryant McIntosh and Scottie Lindsey, who combined to start 203 games at Northwestern. “Certainly we’re going to miss what McIntosh and Lindsey brought in the backcourt,” Collins said. “But with the pieces we added, the ability to have more guys that can put the ball in the basket will help some of those offensive woes we went through at times last year.” One player who should help fill the scoring void is senior guard Ryan Taylor, a graduate transfer from Evansville. Taylor led the Missouri Valley Conference with 21.3 points per game last season. Another transfer who should help immediately is junior forward A.J. Turner, who made 52 starts in two seasons at Boston College. … Northwestern’s most decorated recruiting class ever is led by forward Pete Nance. Freshman point guard Ryan Greer also will be counted on early at a position of need.

THE NUMBER

2,953 | Combined points for McIntosh and Lindsey the past four seasons.

NO. 10 MICHIGAN STATE

FEB. 12 | KOHL CENTER

COACH’S CORNER

Tom Izzo is 574-225 in 23 seasons at Michigan State, with seven Final Four appearances and a national title in that span. The Spartans went 16-2 in the Big Ten last season to win their eighth regular-season title under Izzo and reached the 30-win mark for the fourth time in program history, but they were bounced by Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Junior point guard Cassius Winston averaged 12.6 points per game last season and led the Big Ten with 6.9 assists per game. Winston also opened eyes by leading the conference by making 49.7 percent of his 3-point attempts. He made at least four 3-pointers six times as a sophomore. “I think Cassius does have a chance to be one of the better players in this league because his skill level, because of his intelligence, and because he’s now got experience,” Izzo said.

SCOUTING REPORT

Michigan State lost a pair of NBA lottery picks: Miles Bridges, who led the Spartans with 17.1 points as a sophomore; and Jaren Jackson Jr., who averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in his only season in East Lansing. … Junior forward Nick Ward, who averaged 12.4 points and 7.1 rebounds last season, lost weight in the offseason and could emerge as a dominant force in the paint. … Junior guard Joshua Langford shot 40.4 percent from 3-point range while averaging 11.7 points last season. … Michigan State’s talented five-man recruiting class is led by power forward Marcus Bingham and point guard Foster Loyer, who played with UW freshman forward Taylor Currie at Clarkston High School in Michigan.

THE NUMBER

2 | NCAA tournament wins for Michigan State over the past three seasons despite winning 79 wins overall during that stretch. It’s the first time the Spartans have failed to reach the Sweet 16 in three consecutive seasons since Izzo took over the program in 1995.

INDIANA

FEB. 26 | ASSEMBLY HALL IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

COACH’S CORNER

The Hoosiers went 16-15 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play in their first season under Archie Miller, who has created a buzz in Bloomington after replacing Tom Crean. Miller’s first full recruiting cycle resulted in Indiana signing a pair of top-100 recruits.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior forward Juwan Morgan led the Hoosiers with 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game last season. Morgan had eight double-doubles, including a 34-point, 11-rebound performance in an overtime win over Notre Dame.

SCOUTING REPORT

Robert Johnson had a strong senior season at Indiana, averaging 14.0 points per game, but the Hoosiers have a ready replacement in freshman Romeo Langford. Landing Langford, ranked No. 5 in the 2018 recruiting class by ESPN, was a huge coup for Miller. “There’s a lot of hype around him,” Miller said. “Obviously being from the state, going to IU, I think that’s going to make it a bigger story than everything. He’s always had a lot of eyes on him. Always been a calm type of guy under pressure. He’s shown that. I think the thing that’s been really enjoyable so far about Romeo is he’s just like one of the other guys. He’s embraced his teammates.” Indiana also pulled forward Jerome Hunter, ranked No. 67 by ESPN, out of Ohio. … Junior center De’Ron Davis, who averaged 9.6 points in 15 starts before his season ended in January with an Achilles’ tear, should be ready for the start of the season. … Forward Justin Smith showed promise — and athleticism — while averaging 6.5 points as a true freshman last season. … Indiana needs more consistency from junior point guard Devonte Green, who averaged a turnover every 11.8 minutes in 2017-18.

THE NUMBER

65.7 | Indiana’s free throw percentage last season, the second-worst mark in the Big Ten. Morgan was at 63.1 percent, while Davis only converted half of 64 attempts. 

OHIO STATE

MARCH 10 | VALUE CITY ARENA IN COLUMBUS, OHIO

COACH’S CORNER

Ohio State went 25-9 in its first season under Chris Holtmann. The Buckeyes were picked to finish 11th in the Big Ten in a preseason poll of media members who cover the conference, but Holtmann was named Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading the Buckeyes to a 15-3 mark and second-place finish. Their season ended with a 90-84 loss to Gonzaga in the round of 32.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

Senior guard C.J. Jackson was second on the team in scoring with 12.6 points per game last season. Jackson shot 37.9 percent from 3-point range and 79.2 percent from free throw line. He scored a career-high 23 points against Stanford and had 20 in Ohio State’s victory over South Dakota State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

SCOUTING REPORT

Ohio State has plenty of production to replace after the departure of forward Keita Bates-Diop, who was named Big Ten Player of the Year and led the Buckeyes with 19.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Jae’Sean Tate (12.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg) didn’t post the numbers that Bates-Diop did, but he was a four-year fixture in the lineup and his energy will be difficult to replace. … Center Kaleb Wesson started 30 games as a true freshman, averaging 10.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. … Holtmann bolstered his roster with the addition of Keyshawn Woods, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest who averaged 11.9 points last season. This is the third stop for Woods, who began his career at Charlotte. Holtmann said Woods “has a terrific feel for the game, which means he’s going to play a significant amount of point guard for us, as well as off the ball, really all three perimeter spots.”

THE NUMBER

74.8 | Ohio State’s defensive rebounding percentage last season, which led the Big Ten.