Wisconsin basketball is getting another preseason shrug from the numbers, and that’s not exactly new territory.
KenPom has the Badgers at No. 40 nationally and ninth in the Big Ten, right in the middle of the league. The site’s preseason projections also slot Wisconsin’s offense at No. 43 and its defense at No. 37, with a 10-10 conference record attached to the forecast.
That kind of placement fits the familiar offseason pattern around Greg Gard’s team: plenty of outside doubt, then a habit of making people revisit those expectations once the games start. Wisconsin has repeatedly beaten the preseason temperature check in recent years, often unveiling another breakout piece while continuing to evolve into one of the country’s most entertaining teams. The formula has become pretty recognizable by now - a fast-paced, three-point-driven attack, dynamic backcourt play, and bigs who can shoot it.
KenPom’s initial read lines up with the broader buzz around the Badgers. Most preseason outlooks have Wisconsin as a competitive team, but one that sits in the Big Ten middle class rather than the league’s top tier, and outside the AP Top 25.
The Big Ten itself is a fascinating puzzle entering the season. Michigan snapped the league’s national title drought last year in Indianapolis, but the Wolverines had to wave goodbye to their head coach and several important players.
At the top, Illinois and Michigan State are the two teams most commonly viewed as the conference’s class. After that, it starts to get messy in a hurry.
There’s plenty of projection baked into the conference race, too. USC is a good example after finishing last season on an eight-game losing streak and bowing out in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, yet still landing above Wisconsin in KenPom’s preseason rankings.
On paper, the Trojans have talent. The question is whether Eric Musselman can turn that into something real in Los Angeles, because that proof of concept hasn’t arrived yet.
So the league is set up for a long, unpredictable run, with national-title level teams like Illinois and Michigan State at the top, plus teams like Nebraska and Iowa trying to show last year wasn’t a fluke. Wisconsin, as usual, sits in the middle of the conversation and probably expects to climb past that No. 9 spot.
The numbers say one thing. Wisconsin tends to make those numbers look shaky.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Just Got The Spotlight Luke Fickell Had To Earn
Wisconsin is about to get the sort of national showcase that has been hard to come by in recent seasons, and it comes in a fittingly high-profile stretch. The Badgers will play back-to-back primetime games on NBC, first against UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and then against USC at Camp Randall Stadium, with both kicks set for 6:30 p.m. CT on consecutive Saturdays.
It is a clear sign of how far the program has come this year under Luke Fickell, with the schedule now putting Wisconsin in front of a much larger audience than it usually sees. For a team trying to reestablish itself on the national stage, those two windows are more than a convenience - they are a chance to keep proving the Badgers belong in conversations that extend well beyond the Big Ten footprint. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces A Huge UCLA Test With One Road Problem Looming
Wisconsins trip to face No. 12 UCLA arrives with a few layers to it, starting with the fact that the Bruins may be without starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava after a knee injury that could keep him out for the season. Even so, this is still a demanding road assignment for the Badgers, because UCLAs identity has been built around the run game, while Wisconsin has spent much of the year leaning on a run defense that has held up well enough to keep opponents from controlling games on the ground.
The matchup also comes with a turnover wrinkle that could matter just as much as the personnel news. UCLA has been prone to giveaways, and Wisconsin has been cleaner with the ball lately, two trends that can swing a game like this if either side slips up. Luke Fickell pointed to the strengths on both sidelines and said the program feels different this season, which adds a little more weight to a game that should tell a lot about where the Badgers really stand away from home. [Read more 🡒]
BYU Faces A Program Defining Stage Against Notre Dame
BYUs trip to Notre Dame carries more weight than a typical November showcase, even in a season full of high-profile matchups. The Irish bring a familiar standard of physical football and national attention, while the Cougars are trying to prove they belong in the same conversation as the sports most established powers, with College Football Playoff positioning hanging in the balance.
For Wisconsin fans watching the broader Big Ten and national picture, it is another reminder of how much is at stake in these late-season tests. The weekend slate also includes major games involving Indiana, Ohio State, Alabama and Tennessee, but BYU against Notre Dame stands out as the kind of stage where a program can change the way the country sees it, even before the final rankings arrive. [Read more 🡒]