5 takes as Wisconsin men’s basketball travels to Nebraska for its first Big Ten road test
After two rejuvenating wins for the Badgers, here's what's on my mind as Wisconsin basketball preps for its first true road game of the season.
The Wisconsin basketball team’s loss to TCU in the championship game of the Rady Children’s Invitational was certainly deflating. But the Badgers have responded with two straight wins, toppling Northwestern and Marquette by a combined total of 32 points.
Sitting at 7-2, Wisconsin is now primed for its first true road test of the season, a clash with undefeated (9-0) Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
With that said, I’ve got plenty on my mind as the Badgers look to improve to 8-5 all-time on the road in Lincoln. Here are five takes ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup against the Cornhuskers.
Big Ten play *really* starts now
No disrespect to Northwestern — who currently sits at 16th in the Big Ten with a 5-4 record and a 0-2 mark in conference play — but this feels like the real start of the Big Ten season for Wisconsin. On the road, in a hostile environment against a ranked, undefeated team? That’s what this conference is all about, and these are the games you have to win to put yourself in position to be at or near the top of the league. More on that later.
Get ready for a 3-point barrage
Wisconsin leaned on 3-pointers the most it ever has last season, and so far in 2025-26, it’s taking even more threes, with 51.4% of its shots coming from beyond the arc.
But if you think the Badgers let it fly from deep, just wait until you see Nebraska. There are only four other Power Conference programs that shoot threes at a higher rate than Wisconsin, and the Huskers are one of them, with 51.9% of their shots coming from distance.
That’s not to say either program has been particularly efficient from deep; both teams shoot under 35% from downtown. For Nebraska, senior center Rienk Mast (45.2%) and senior point guard Jamarques Lawrence (43.6%) are the two to watch. Effective defensive rotations and closeouts will be of the utmost importance on Wednesday night.