By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – One team is coming off a 20-point loss in which it missed 24 of 27 shots from 3-point range and trailed in the game for all but 45 seconds.

That would be the Iowa Hawkeyes.

The other team is coming off a one-point loss at home in which it missed its final four shots and fell two games below .500 in the Big Ten standings.

That would be the Wisconsin Badgers.

They will face each other on Wednesday in Madison, Wisconsin, and both teams will be in bounce-back mode as they continue to navigate through the Big Ten grind.

Iowa had won nine of its last 12 games before losing to Northwestern 80-60 this past Sunday in Evanston, Illinois.

Iowa also lost its head coach, Fran McCaffery, to an ejection in the second half of the drubbing.

Iowa only made 3-of-24 shots from 3-point range and that was just too much to overcome against the conference’s biggest surprise team.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, missed an opportunity for a Quad 1 win by losing to Rutgers 58-57 last Saturday at the Kohl Center and is now clearly on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

The Badgers (15-11, 7-9) last failed to make the field in 2017-2018, Greg Gard’s second season as full-time head coach.

A victory over Iowa would help Wisconsin’s post-season cause considerably, and would also complete a season sweep.

Wisconsin defeated Iowa 78-75 in overtime on Dec. 11 at Carver-Hawkeye. Arena

However, Iowa was without leading scorer Kris Murray in that game due to an injury.

Sixth-year senior Connor McCaffery, who is Fran McCaffery’s son, also starts now after coming off the bench in the bench earlier in the season, while junior guards Tony Perkins and Ahron Ulis have gained a lot of experience as starters since the first game against the Badgers.

“They’re not going to change much with what they do,” Fran McCaffery said Tuesday of Wisconsin. “They have a system that works.

“And, obviously, a lot has happened between then and now. We’re different, I think ,in a lot of ways because we didn’t have Kris that night. Connor is now in a starting position. Ulis and Perkins have had an opportunity gain more experience.

“But the same for them.”

The Badgers are 8-5 at the Kohl Center, including 4-4 during conference play, this season.

In league play, 11 of the Badgers’ 16 contests have been decided in two possessions or less (7-4).

Wisconsin is first in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (8.7), and second in the Big Ten in both turnover margin (3.5) and 3-pointers per game (8.6).

But on the flipside, Wisconsin is last in the Big Ten in rebounds (31.2) and blocks (1.4) per game.

Sophomore guard Chucky Hepburn is ranked fourth in the conference in both steals (43) and steals per game (1.65). He also leads the team in 3-point percentage (.441), points (324), and assists (74).

Wisconsin has won 14 of the last 17 games against Iowa in Madison. Iowa is also 5-14 at the Kohl Center.

Even with the loss at Northwestern, Iowa still is considered an NCAA Tournament team.

Fran McCaffery pointed out Tuesday that his team made 20-of-30 shots from two-point range against Northwestern, so there were some positives on offense that were overshadowed by the struggles from 3-point range.

“We missed open threes,” Fran McCaffery said. “It wasn’t anything they did defensively.”

Iowa (17-10, 9-7) vs. Wisconsin (15-11, 7-9)

When: Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Where: Madison, Wisconsin (Kohl Center)

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network

Series: Wednesday will be the 173rd meeting between Iowa and Wisconsin. The all-time series is tied, 86-86. That record includes a Wisconsin forfeit in 1983. Fourteen of the last 21 meetings, dating back to 2011, have been decided by seven points or less, including this season’s 78-75 Badger victory in overtime earlier meeting in Iowa City on Dec. 11, 2022. Wisconsin holds a 54-30 advantage in games played in Madison. The Badgers have won 14 of the last 17 games contested in Madison. Iowa is 5-14 at the Kohl Center, winning there in 2011 (72-65), 2000 (61-55), 1998 (79-76), 2017 (59-57), and 2021 (77-62).