The Badgers saw a National Championship slip away last year and with it a couple of NBA first rounders out of their front court. On Sunday, the rebuilt Badgers will get another tough test against Oklahoma.
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HOW THE WISCONSIN BADGERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Badgers lost National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky and also saw Sam Dekker leave for the NBA.
Without the duo, Wisconsin saw its tallest players leave. To make matters worse, Duje Dukan is also gone. Nigel Hayes will now be the key to a much smaller frontcourt.
In the backcourt, Bronson Koenig provides a veteran presence, the guard leads the team in scoring through five games with 17.6 PPG. Hayes is second with 14.8. The duo are also first and second in assists with Hayes delivering 18 and Koenig adding 16.
This new look Badgers team is learning how to play together as a unit. They’ve been a bit inconsistent and disjointed early in averaging just 74.4 PPG.
They’ve already recorded their first loss of the year, too, falling to Georgetown 71-61 with Koenig going silent, shooting just 2-for-12 from the floor and Hayes trying to carry the team on his own with 22-points.
Wisconsin did rebound to top VCU 74-73 in their next game. In that one, Koenig shot 9-for-14 for 22-points while Hayes and two others reached double-digits as well.
HOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Sooners finished second in the Big 12 a season ago and returns senior Buddy Hield to the fold. He was the Big 12 player of the year last year and part of a starting five that made all 35 starts. He, along with three of his counterparts, are all back, giving the team just one new starter.
This is a team that made it to the Sweet-16 last year and has the talent—and now experience—to go even further this go around.
The Sooners have outscored the opposition 88.3 to 65.7 through their first three games as they’ve got very little adjustments they need to make considering the bulk of the team is full of veterans.
Of course, for the Sooners to cover the spread, they’ll need a big game from Hield, though at this point that’s more of an assumption than a question.
The star guard has averaged 25.3 PPG through the first three games and has added nine assists and 17 rebounds. In addition, guards Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard along with forward Ryan Spangler all have at least 10.7 PPG.
Spangler is a key piece with fellow forward TaShawn Thomas gone. Spangler will have to help pick up some of the load. For the Sooners to cover on Sunday, they’ll also need Akolda Manyang to help. The 7-footer out of junior college could help provide an additional presence in the paint and give the team some needed height.
In three games, however, he’s averaging just 11 minutes with Spangler the only forward receiving consistent playing time.
ANAYLSIS AN PREDICTION
Koenig is key for the Badgers as they failed to produce on offense when he shot poorly against Georgetown. He’s also important against Oklahoma’s dominating backcourt.
Overall, we’re dealing with a veteran team against a relatively young one and—particularly this early—I’m siding with the one with the experience, particularly when the talent is also lacking in Wisconsin.
Hield gives the Sooners the overall edge while Spangler should be able to hold his own against Hayes and company down low.
Oklahoma 77, Wisconsin 69
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Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The contest between the Wisconsin Badgers and Oklahoma Sooners will take place Sunday, November 29, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Lloyd Noble Center. You can watch the game live on ESPN2.
