Texas faces its second-straight Big 10 opponent this morning as Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin Badgers come to town. The Longhorns are looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season, suffered last Saturday at the hands of Michigan State. Wisconsin comes into this one as winners of three straight, having only suffered two losses — both to teams currently ranked in the Top 10.

By the numbers

Bo Ryan’s teams are always known for their defense, and this year’s squad is no different. The Badgers are the best defensive team in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy, but offensively they are not too shabby either. Wisconsin boasts a +30.5 scoring differential per 100 possessions, which is slightly better than Texas’ +26.5 mark.

The Badgers are holding opponents to 36.6% shooting on the season. In the loss to Michigan State, the Horns shot only 39.3% for the game, their first game under the 40% benchmark on the year. Texas will have to really fight for its baskets today, and must grab as many easy looks in transition as they can.

The Badger team

Bo Ryan returns an experienced starting five, with two seniors, two juniors, and a sophomore. Big man Brian Butch is an integral part of the game plan, as he cleans up on the offensive glass and gives the team a shot at a ton of second-chance points. When he went down with an injury in the late-season game against Ohio State last year, the Badgers’ hopes for a Final Four run disintegrated.

Guard Trevon Hughes leads the team in both minutes and points, with 31.2 MPG and 15.1 PPG so far. He’s only six feet tall, so he is not a much of a mismatch for the Texas guards as some players they have faced in the past. If the Horns can actually shut down Butch as they did with Kevin Love against UCLA, the Badgers will have to rely on Hughes to carry the weight.

Michael Flowers has seen his game improve since being promoted to the starting role four games ago. He’s also not a tall guard, checking in at 6-feet, 2-inches, but if he continues his hot shooting it will make the Horns have to pick their poison.

The forwards on this Badger squad are big and effective, and will combine with Butch to create problems for Texas in the paint. Joe Krabbenhoft may have looked ridiculous in the high, striped throwback socks earlier this month, but 7.6/6.3 average is anything but funny. Marcus Landry has similar numbers, with 9.5 points and 5.1 boards per game.

What to look for

This is going to be a physical, slow-down affair, the type of game that causes problems for Texas. With the 11 A.M. start and students still on vacation, the awful atmosphere in the Frank Erwin Center could definitely let the Badgers hang around longer than they should. Texas needs to get out to a quick start and keep the dogs at bay, but also should not panic if they struggle early. Bo Ryan’s team is going to make it incredibly tough to score, so the Horns can’t afford to give in at any point.

Game is on ESPN2 this morning, so if you can’t make it down to the FEC, be sure to tune in.