Michigan basketball is still undefeated as it returns to Ann Arbor, but feeling far less invulnerable than a week prior.
The Wolverines weathered their first scare in nearly two months – beating lowly Penn State, 74-72, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, thanks to a pair of stops in the final minute.
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Road games in the Big Ten are often more “survive and advance” than “shock and awe.” That’s true even for Michigan, which had inspired plenty of awe in winning its previous 10 games by more than 35 points per game.
Michigan guard Nimari Burnett (4) tries to save the ball from going out of bound against Wisconsin during the first half of Big Ten Tournament championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind. on Sunday, March 16, 2025.
“Thought we stayed poised,” coach Dusty May told Brian Boesch of WWJ-AM (950) after Tuesday’s win. “On a night when things didn’t go very well for us, we still found a way to learn and be in the win column. … It’s another reminder and an opportunity for growth.”
Now, No. 1 Michigan (14-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will looks to get back to form as it hosts Wisconsin (10-5, 2-2) on Saturday (1 p.m., CBS). The Badgers picked up an 80-72 victory at home Wednesday against UCLA, but Greg Gard’s team has struggled in its two true road tests this season – a 98-70 loss at BYU and a 90-60 loss at undefeated Nebraska.
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Worse yet, for Wisconsin, it’s 0-5 in Quad I matchups – and facing Michigan at Crisler Center is pretty much the top of the Quad I box.
The Badgers are led by Nick Boyd, who’s averaging 19.5 points per game on 48.3% shooting, but if there’s any team in the league that should know how to stop him, it’s May’s squad, as Boyd played for May at Florida Atlantic from 2020-24.
“Oh, man. I love Nick Boyd. That’s my guy,” May told reporters at Big Ten media days in October. “He’s a competitor, he’s someone that brings out the best in people and he loves the game and has a will to win that really fit our staff. He’s one of the big reasons that I’m sitting at this stage now, so Nick will be a part of my life forever.”
Wisconsin guard John Blackwell (25) and guard Nick Boyd (2) are shown during the waning moment of their game Saturday, December 6, 2025 at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat Marquette 96-76.
The Badgers also rely on a player plenty familiar with the state of Michigan: John Blackwell, a Birmingham Brother Rice alumnus in the class of 2023, has blossomed into a potent Big Ten player. He’s averaging 17.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, fueled by 6.3 free throw attempts per contest.
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Nolan Winter, a 7-footer and one of the better bigs in the league, is also a force, averaging 14.6 points and 9.2 rebounds.
Wisconsin, ranked No. 42 in KenPom, is No. 38 on offense nationally in turnovers (14.5 per 100 possessions), No. 47 in 2-point (57.5%) and free throw shooting (76.3%), and No. 63 in offense (116.8).
Defensively, its strengths lie in limiting offensive rebounds (No. 17, 24.9%) and No. 43 in total defense (99.9). The biggest conflict may be in what the Badgers do reasonably well vs. what the Wolverines excel at: Wisconsin is No. 47 in 2-point average shot distance (6.8 feet from the basket), meaning it limits dunks and layups and forces floaters and midrange shots. The Wolverines, meanwhile, thrive on dunks and layups, dominating in the paint.
The Badgers and Wolverines have a pair of common opponents, with U-M faring better: The Wolverines beat TCU by four points on the road and gored Villanova at home, while the Badgers lost to TCU by nine on a neutral court and lost to Villanova by 10 on a “neutral court” – in nearby Milwaukee – last month.
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There should be some juice in Crisler Center for a nationally televised game with a “Blue Out” theme. While shooting comes and goes, effort should not, so expect a rebound from the Wolverines after a lackluster showing at Penn State.
“I want to tip the cap – a lot of times coaches get up here in a game like this and talk about what they didn’t do,” May said Tuesday. “Penn State was more physical than us. Their game plan was better than ours. They beat us to every 50-50 ball.”
Everybody in maize and blue is all too aware of that now.
Here’s what you need to know for the Michigan-Wisconsin basketball game today:
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What channel is Michigan basketball vs Wisconsin
TV channel: CBS.
Michigan basketball will face Wisconsin in a nationally televised game on CBS.
How to stream Michigan vs Wisconsin basketball
Streaming: On Paramount+.
Michigan basketball vs Wisconsin start time today
Date: Saturday, Jan. 10.
Time: 1 p.m. ET.
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor.
Michigan basketball schedule 2025-26 next 5 games
Find the Wolverines’ full 2025-26 schedule.
Saturday, Jan. 10: Wisconsin, 1 ET, CBS.
Wednesday, Jan. 14: at Washington, 10:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network.
Saturday, Jan. 17: at Oregon, 4 p.m. ET, NBC.
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Tuesday, Jan. 20: Indiana, 7 p.m. ET, Peacock.
Friday, Jan. 23: Ohio State, 8 p.m., Fox.
Michigan vs Wisconsin prediction
Morez Johnson Jr.’s early foul trouble against Penn State was a big factor in that close finish; as deep as U-M is, it does not have a replacement for his motor and ability to switch on defense. Presumably, that narrow win was a wakeup call for Michigan, and while it’s hard to expect the Wolverines to beat teams by 30 or 40 a night, this one could be lopsided by the end. The pick: U-M 92, Wisconsin 73.
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball hosts Wisconsin looking to rebound: prediction
