With February underway, the Wisconsin Badgers are entering the most pivotal stretch of their season - a month that could either solidify their NCAA tournament status or throw it into serious question. Sitting at 8-3 in Big Ten play, the Badgers are currently tied for fifth in the conference standings, right alongside Purdue.
That tie, however, comes with a caveat: Purdue holds the tiebreaker thanks to a Jan. 3 win over Wisconsin. The two teams will meet again in the regular-season finale on March 7, and that rematch could carry significant postseason implications.
Big Ten Standings: A Crowded Top Tier
The Big Ten race is tightly packed at the top. Illinois and Michigan are leading the charge at 10-1, with Nebraska and Michigan State just behind at 9-2.
Purdue and Wisconsin are each 8-3, followed closely by UCLA at 8-4. That’s a seven-team logjam with legitimate claims to the upper tier of the conference - and Wisconsin’s schedule isn’t doing them any favors.
Five of the Badgers’ seven games in February are against teams that are .500 or better in Big Ten play. That means nearly every game remaining this month will carry real weight - not just in the conference standings, but in how the NCAA tournament selection committee views Wisconsin’s résumé.
NET Rankings and the Resume Game
Wisconsin currently sits at No. 42 in the NCAA’s NET rankings - a key metric used by the selection committee to evaluate teams. That’s unchanged from a week ago, but the Badgers have some quality wins under their belt. They’ve beaten Michigan (No. 2 in NET), UCLA (No. 40), and Ohio State (No. 41), all of which are ranked higher than Wisconsin in the current NET.
But the numbers tell a more nuanced story. The Badgers are just 1-4 in Quad 1 games - the most valuable category in the selection committee's eyes.
Their Nov. 28 loss to TCU, once a Quad 1 opportunity, has since dropped to Quad 2 after TCU fell outside the NET top 50. That hurts, but it also underscores how fluid the resume game can be in February.
The good news? Six of Wisconsin’s seven games this month would currently qualify as Quad 1 matchups.
That means opportunity is knocking - loudly. A strong run could vault the Badgers into lock territory.
A stumble, though, could put their March Madness hopes in jeopardy.
Bracketology Roundup: The 9-Seed Consensus
Across the board, the major bracket projections agree: Wisconsin is currently viewed as a No. 9 seed. That’s where ESPN, USA TODAY, and CBS Sports all have the Badgers slotted as of this week.
In ESPN’s Feb. 3 projection, Wisconsin would face No. 8 seed NC State in the opening round in Philadelphia, with top-seeded UConn likely waiting in the second round.
USA TODAY also pegs Wisconsin as a 9-seed, matched up against No. 8 seed Central Florida in Buffalo. Again, UConn looms as the top seed in that region.
CBS Sports echoes the same seeding, with the Badgers facing No. 8 seed Clemson in the first round and then potentially running into top-seeded Michigan. That bracket doesn’t specify locations, but the message is clear: Wisconsin is sitting right on the edge of the 8/9 line, a notoriously tricky spot in the bracket.
The Road Ahead
What happens next is entirely in Wisconsin’s hands. The February schedule is a gauntlet, but it’s also a golden opportunity.
Every Quad 1 win would boost their tournament profile. Every loss - especially at home or to lower-ranked opponents - could chip away at their standing.
With the Big Ten standings tight and the NCAA tournament picture still taking shape, the Badgers are walking a fine line between safely in and sweating it out on Selection Sunday. One thing’s for sure: this next month will define their season.