Western Kentucky’s challenging nonconference schedule continues Wednesday with a date in one of America’s toughest road environments.

The Hilltoppers will venture into the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis., for a matchup with a Wisconsin program that went to back-to-back Final Fours in 2014 and ’15. Tipoff between WKU and the Badgers is set for 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

The Toppers (6-3) will be trying to send Wisconsin (4-7) to a fourth home loss already this season. The Badgers have dropped games in Madison to then-No. 15 Xavier, Ohio State and Marquette, which won 82-63 at Wisconsin on Saturday.

Home struggles have been a break from the norm for Wisconsin, which posted a 274-41 record on its court from the time the Kohl Center opened in 1997 through last season.

The arena has traditionally been one of the most challenging road environments in college basketball, something WKU coach Rick Stansbury said his team will embrace.

“We know it’ll be a challenge too, but our guys are ready for it,” Stansbury said last week. “We’ve got enough experience.

“We’re not going to walk out there with fear, I can tell you that. We’ll walk out there not hoping, but believing.”

The Wisconsin matchup will be another tricky nonconference test for the Hilltoppers.

Their pre-Conference USA schedule this season was highlighted by the Battle 4 Atlantis, where WKU lost to Villanova – now ranked No. 1 nationally – and beat then-No. 18 Purdue and Southern Methodist. All three of those teams are among the top 25 in KenPom.com’s adjusted efficiency rankings.

The Tops lost last month to a Missouri State team favored to win the Missouri Valley Conference, then lost Sunday to an Ohio team expected to contend in the Mid-American Conference. Home games against Indiana State – which beat Indiana by 21 points earlier this year – and Ohio Valley Conference power Belmont await after the Wisconsin trip.

“I feel like coach Stansbury did a good job of getting us on big-time stages,” WKU forward Marek Nelson said. “He’s put us on platforms that allows us to show what we can do as players.

“I’m grateful for that, for sure, as a player. He got us that schedule but it’s on us as players to compete with the teams we’re playing.”

WKU draws a Badgers team Wednesday that’s without guards Kobe King and D’Mitrik Trice. King (5.2 points per game) underwent season-ending knee surgery, while Trice (9.4 ppg) had foot surgery this week.

The star for Wisconsin is forward Ethan Happ, who averages 16.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest. Guard Brad Davison (10.9 ppg) is the Badgers’ only other double-digit scorer.

Wednesday’s game will be a homecoming for Topper guard Lamonte Bearden, a Milwaukee native. The redshirt junior wasn’t recruited by his home state’s flagship school, saying Wisconsin’s traditionally buttoned-down system is “too slow” for his basket-attacking game.

Bearden said he’ll have a number of friends and family members in attendance Wednesday in Madison.

“I like it, going back home,” Bearden said. “It’s a kid’s dream to go back home and play college ball. I just try to embrace it and live in the moment, just hope we can win the game.”

Wednesday’s contest will also be a chance for WKU to get back on track after an 89-84 loss Sunday at Ohio. The Bobcats led by as many as 16 points that afternoon before the Hilltoppers mounted a late rally, which came up short.

Notes

Western Kentucky has made at least one 3-pointer in 947 consecutive games, dating back to March 15, 1987. The Hilltoppers’ streak is the fifth-longest in the nation behind Kentucky, Nevada-Las Vegas, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. … WKU is 12-20 all-time against current members of the Big Ten Conference. The Toppers beat Big Ten squad Purdue last month. … Forward Justin Johnson is No. 27 on WKU’s all-time scoring list with 1,225 career points. Next up on the list is No. 26 Mike Wells (1,245). … Six of WKU’s seven available scholarship players average between 10.2 and 13.8 points. … The Hilltoppers’ last true road win came Feb. 4 of the 2016-17 season at Southern Mississippi 64-47.

Western Kentucky (6-3) at Wisconsin (4-7)

7 p.m., Kohl Center, Madison, Wis.

Probable starters

Western Kentucky

Lamonte Bearden, g, 6-3, r-jr. (11.9 ppg, 3.6 apg); Dwight Coleby, f, 6-9, g-sr. (11.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg); Justin Johnson, f, 6-7, sr. (11.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg); Taveion Hollingsworth, g, 6-2, fr. (12.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg); Darius Thompson, g, 6-4, g-sr. (13.8 ppg, 4.3 apg).

Wisconsin

Brad Davison, g, 6-3, fr. (10.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg); Ethan Happ, f, 6-10, r-jr. (16.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg); Brevin Pritzl, g, 6-3, r-so. (6.7 ppg, 3 rpg); Khalil Iverson, g, 6-5, jr. (7.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg); Aleem Ford, f, 6-8, r-fr. (4.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg).

Broadcast

Fox Sports 1

Radio

WKLX 100.7-FM

Coaches

Rick Stansbury (21-20 second year; 314-186 overall), Western Kentucky; Greg Gard (46-25 third year; 46-25 overall), Wisconsin.

Series record

Wisconsin leads 1-0 (Wisconsin won last meeting 73-62 on Nov. 25, 1989 at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico).

Last time out

Western Kentucky lost 89-84 Sunday at Ohio; Wisconsin lost 82-63 at home Saturday to Marquette.{&end}