Wisconsin's Big Ten basketball opener is sandwiched between Marquette, Arizona

MADISON – Opening Big Ten play away from the Kohl Center isn’t easy.

Opening Big Ten play against Tom Izzo and Michigan State, in the Breslin Center, isn’t easy.

Opening Big Ten play against the Spartans – three days after hosting rival Marquette and four days before facing powerful Arizona in Tucson – is a gauntlet.

Welcome to one of the more telling weeks on Wisconsin’s 2023-24 men’s basketball schedule.

The release Tuesday of the Big Ten schedule revealed Greg Gard’s team opens league play Dec. 5 against the Spartans, who are expected to challenge for the title.

Marquette and Arizona are expected to challenge for their respective league titles as well.

That means in a span of eight days UW will play three games against teams expected to challenge for their respective league titles.

Unlike the previous six seasons, UW will play just one league game in December.

After facing Arizona in Tucson, UW has home games Dec. 14 against Jacksonville State and Dec. 22 against Chicago State.

UW’s final 19 Big Ten games include just one pair of consecutive road games – Feb. 7 at Michigan and Feb. 10 at Rutgers.

By contrast, the Badgers have two sets of consecutive home games – Jan. 2 against Iowa and Jan. 6 against Nebraska and then March 2 against Illinois and March 7 against Rutgers.

The end of January appears daunting for a team looking to bounce back from a 9-11 mark in league play last season.

UW hosts Indiana on the 19th, travels to face rival Minnesota on the 23rd and then returns home for the rematch with Michigan State on the 26th.

February and the stretch run will be challenging

February features five road games, including the two-game swing to Michigan and Rutgers, and only three home games.

The home games won’t be gimmies.

Defending champion Purdue visits the Kohl Center on Feb. 4. Ohio State, which bounced UW from the Big Ten tournament last season, visits on the 13^th. Maryland, which split two regular-season games with UW last season, visits on the 20^th.

If the Badgers are in contention for the regular-season title down the stretch, their final four games will be critical.

UW plays Feb. 27 at Indiana. The Badgers suffered an 18-point loss last season in Bloomington.

They host Illinois on March 2 and Rutgers on March 7. The Illini have a six-game winning streak against UW and Rutgers has won its last two games at the Kohl Center.

And how does UW close the regular season? With a trip to Purdue, which went 14-2 at home last season.

More: Wisconsin Badgers men open against Virginia in the Fort Myers Tip-Off

2023-24 Wisconsin men's basketball schedule

Nov. 1 – UW-STEVENS POINT (exhibition)

Nov. 6 – ARKANSAS STATE

Nov. 10 – TENNESSEE

Nov. 14 – at Providence

Nov. 17 – ROBERT MORRIS

Nov. 20 – vs. Virginia (Fort Meyers Tip-Off)

Nov. 22 – vs. SMU/West Virginia (Fort Meyers Tip-Off)

Nov. 27 – WESTERN ILLINOIS

Dec. 2 – MARQUETTE

Dec. 5 – at Michigan State

Dec. 9 – at Arizona

Dec. 14 – JACKSONVILLE STATE

Dec. 22 – CHICAGO STATE

Jan. 2 – IOWA

Jan. 6 – NEBRASKA

Jan. 10 – at Ohio State

Jan. 13 – NORTHWESTERN

Jan. 16 – at Penn State

Jan. 19 – INDIANA

Jan. 23 – at Minnesota

Jan. 26 – MICHIGAN STATE

Feb. 1 – at Nebraska

Feb. 4 – PURDUE

Feb. 7 – at Michigan

Feb. 10 – at Rutgers

Feb. 13 – OHIO STATE

Feb. 17 – at Iowa

Feb. 20 – MARYLAND

Feb. 27 – at Indiana

March 2 – ILLINOIS

March 7 – RUTGERS

March 10 – at Purdue

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin begins Big Ten basketball schedule at Michigan State Dec. 5