Wisconsin, Purdue release injury report ahead of Big Ten Tournament semifinal

Ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinal matchup between Wisconsin and Purdue, both teams have released their respective injury reports before tip-off.

Wisconsin will be without Isaac Gard, while Tyler Wahl, Chucky Hepburn and Isaac Lindsey are questionable for the Badgers, per report. For Purdue, Braden Smith has been deemed as questionable.

Hepburn (lower body) did not play during Wisconsin’s 70-61 win over Northwestern on Thursday and averages 8.5 points and 3.9 assists per game for the Badgers this season. Wahl is a tougher blow, as he has played in and started all 33 games for Wisconsin this season. He averages 11.1 points as Wisconsin’s third-leading scorer.

Wahl has been battling injury throughout the Big Ten Tournament, and it was apparent on Friday after playing an abbreviated 24 minutes against the Wildcats and only putting up one shot during that time. On Thursday against Maryland he shot 1 of 5 while scoring four points.

Meanwhile, Braden Smith is in the Boilermakers’ second-leading scorer (12.7 points per game) behind star big man Zach Edey.

Smith appeared to injure his right leg during the second half of Friday’s quarterfinal matchup against Michigan State. He drove to the basket but came up hobbling. Smith went to the locker room but later returned, citing pain in his calf after the play.

“I’m not trying to be invincible or Superman or nothing,” Smith told Andy Katz postgame. ” I just want to play for my guys and want to be out there for them. I saw the game was getting closer. They went on that run right there when I was out, so I was like, ‘Man, if I’m feeling fine and nothing’s broke, nothing’s falling off, I’m gonna try to go back in there and help them.”

Smith, Wahl and Hepburn will all likely go through warmups for their respective squads, and the team’s training staff will make the call from there.

Tip-off between the Badgers and Boilermakers is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET and will air live on CBS.

Odds for Wisconsin vs. Purdue

The line for the Purdue vs. Wisconsin game is out. FanDuel has the Boilermakers as a 6.5-point favorite entering the matchup. The over-under for the game is set at 144.5 total points.

As for the money line, Purdue is a -280 favorite. Wisconsin currently pays out at +225 on the money line.

Read more on Wisconsin-Purdue odds and score predictions from On3’s Matt Connolly here.