MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team will begin its Big Ten schedule this season with a home game against Penn State on Jan. 3. That game, along with Wisconsin’s 17 other Big Ten contests, were announced Thursday morning by the Big Ten Conference.
Wisconsin will play home-and-home series with seven of the 11 other Big Ten teams. The Badgers face Michigan and Purdue only at home and Indiana and Northwestern on the road.
Highlights on the schedule include Wisconsin’s two games against Ohio State. Wisconsin will take on Ohio State on Jan. 29 at Value City Arena and Feb. 17 at the Kohl Center. The Badgers won in Columbus last season, 63-60, for their first win there since 2008. Ohio State captured its first victory in Madison last season since 2000.
The Big Ten Tournament will be held March 14-17, 2013 at the United Center in Chicago.
Since Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan took over the program in 2001, the Badgers own the best conference record in the Big Ten, going 132-54 (.710 winning percentage). Ryan’s winning percentage is the highest conference mark in history among coaches with at least 10 years of experience.
Wisconsin has finished among the top four in the Big Ten every season in which Ryan has coached. The streak of 11 consecutive top-four finishes is the Big Ten’s longest in 80 years and the second-longest of all-time.
Wisconsin’s entire Big Ten schedule for the 2012-13 season is listed below. Times have not yet been announced.
Jan. 3: vs. Penn State
Jan. 6: at Nebraska
Jan. 12: vs. Illinois
Jan. 15: at Indiana
Jan. 19: at Iowa
Jan. 22: vs. Michigan State
Jan. 26. vs. Minnesota
Jan. 29: at Ohio State
Feb. 3: at Illinois
Feb. 6: vs. Iowa
Feb. 9: vs. Michigan
Feb. 14: at Minnesota
Feb. 17: vs. Ohio State
Feb. 20: at Northwestern
Feb. 26: vs. Nebraska
March 2-3: vs. Purdue
March 7: at Michigan State
March 10: at Penn State
