BYU's offense matches up better against Wisconsin's defense compared to VCU or ISU. But BYU's defense matches up worse against Wisconsin's offense.

Per Kenpom, Wisconsin is statistically very similar to Arizona on offense (#13 vs. #12) and defense (#24 vs. #29). BYU is #9 on offense and #69 on defense (VCU was #47 and #28, respectively). This will be a high-scoring game. I wouldn't be surprised to see both teams score over 80, and the winner very well may need to score over 90.

Wisconsin has been a top 15 team all season, while BYU has been a top 25 team season for the whole season. Wisconsin's record is 27-9 so far, but 6-4 in their last 10 games. BYU is 25-9 on the season, but 9-1 in their last 10 games. Per Barttorvik, BYU has been a top 5 team for the last month and a half.

Wisconsin has 8 players averaging 10+ minutes, and their 2 best players >30 minutes per game. BYU averages 10 players 10+ minutes, and no player more than 30 minutes per game. Will depth prove a meaningful advantage for BYU, at altitude, in the 2nd game within 3 days?

Defensively, I expect we'll put Mag and Stewart on Tonje; and put Demin, Bosko, and Catchings on their shooting big men (who apparently don't like to mix it up in the paint).

Can BYU fans turn Ball Arena into Marriott East? They could very well impact the outcome of the game. Vegas currently favors Wisconsin by 1.5 points, and ESPN gives Wisconsin a 53% chance of winning. If Cougar faithful can turn this into a quasi-home game, that is typically worth up to 3 points according to betting lines.