Michigan basketball vs. Wisconsin: What to watch, live thread and updates as Wolverines start Big Ten play

Michigan men’s basketball begins Big Ten play Tuesday night as the Wolverines face undefeated Wisconsin. Tip-off from the Kohl Center in Madison is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET, and the game will air on Peacock.

The Wolverines went 6-1 in November, finishing with five straight wins that included a Fort Myers Tip-Off title. The Badgers are 8-0 and have climbed to No. 11 in the AP Top 25 poll on the strength of a home blowout of Arizona and a neutral-court victory over Pittsburgh.

Greg Gard’s team is led by John Tonje, a 6-foot-5 wing who has emerged on the leaderboard for KenPom’s Player of the Year thanks to his 22.9 points per game with a 61.3 eFG%. It’s the 23-year-old’s sixth season of college basketball after four at Colorado State and one at Missouri.

Tonje headlines a UW offense that ranks 18th nationally in adjusted efficiency, per KenPom, with an excellent turnover rate (13%, 10th nationally). The Badgers shoot well inside and outside the arc, get to the free throw line for nearly a quarter of their scoring and boast the best free-throw percentage in college basketball.

Joining Tonje in the rotation are a couple of familiar names, PG Max Klesmit and 7-foot center Steven Crowl. SG John Blackwell and PF Nolan Winter have stepped into bigger roles in their sophomore seasons with Wisconsin.

Michigan vs. Wisconsin: Dusty May’s take

Dusty May’s scouting report of Wisconsin: “They have a really unique mix of downhill drivers that get to the line and convert at the line better than anyone else in the country. Their post guys can shoot it. They can score one-on-one after the dust settles, but they’re really, really efficient as passers, which I think gives the cutters even more confidence to cut, the shooters even more space.”

Dusty May on Michigan’s half-court offense against the Badgers: “It would be a lot better for us if we controlled a lot more possessions in the half-court. We would probably be able to get a little bit better shot that particular possession, but we think we’d be stunting our growth long-term. So that’s always the give and take, especially early in the season.”

Scouting Wisconsin: Stats to know

• The Badgers have hit double-digit triples five times in eight games this season.
• John Tonje has scored in double figures in all eight games this season, the longest double-digit scoring streak of his career. The graduate student guard is now one of four Big Ten players with four games of 20-plus points, joining Dylan Harper (Rutgers), Nick Martinelli (Northwestern), and Dawson Garcia (Minnesota).
• The Badgers are 8-0 for the first time since the 2013-14 season, which began 16-0. It’s only the fourth time that UW has begun its season 8-0 since 1938-39. Wisconsin is one of two Big Ten teams that remain unbeaten, joined by Oregon.
• Steven Crowl is the all time leader in both career assists (240) and assists per game (1.9) amongst 7-foot Big Ten players.

Michigan vs. Wisconsin: Game information

Game time: 8 p.m. CT / 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024

Where: Kohl Center (Madison, Wis.)

TV / Streaming: Peacock

Broadcast Crew: Noah Eagle, Robbie Hummel

Series History: Michigan leads 99-75