The Big Ten preseason media poll has Wisconsin slotted at No. 11, putting the Badgers in the middle of a conference that has changed plenty heading into the 2026-27 college basketball season.
Illinois took the top spot in the poll with 18 first-place votes, while Michigan State landed second with nine. Michigan checked in third with one first-place vote, followed by UCLA, Nebraska, Purdue, USC, Ohio State, Indiana and Iowa before Wisconsin appeared at No.
- The rest of the poll finished with Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, Northwestern, Rutgers and Penn State.
For Wisconsin, the ranking marks a drop from last year, when the Badgers were picked seventh in the preseason media poll. That was one of the stronger preseason showings the program has had under Greg Gard. It also comes after Wisconsin opened last season in the AP Top 25 at No. 24; this time around, the Badgers are not in the top 25 and did not appear among the next 15 teams receiving votes.
There is some recent history that suggests Wisconsin can climb once the season starts. Two years ago, the Badgers were tied for 12th in the preseason media poll and finished fifth in the Big Ten while reaching the Big Ten Championship Game. Under Gard, Wisconsin has landed outside the preseason top nine only once, in 2022-23, when the team finished 11th and went to the NIT.
That track record is part of why Wisconsin has regularly outperformed preseason expectations in the league under Gard. The same pattern has shown up in the AP Poll as well. The Badgers have only been ranked to begin the season twice in the last nine years, during the 2020-21 season and last year.
Those two seasons did not end as cleanly as the preseason rankings might have suggested. Wisconsin had strong stretches both times, but last season ended with a first-round exit as a No. 5 seed. In 2020-21, the Badgers earned a No. 9 seed and reached the second round.
Still, Wisconsin has found its way into the national rankings in every one of those nine seasons at some point, reaching the top 15 in all but two of them and cracking the top five in three.
In Other News...
Wisconsin May Have A Defensive Problem Right Before USC
Javan Robinsons status is one of the more notable injury-watch items hanging over Wisconsin as it gets ready for USC. Robinson is listed as questionable, and while the Badgers have not disclosed any specifics about what he is dealing with, his role on defense makes the uncertainty matter heading into a matchup where every healthy piece is going to count.
Wisconsin is still waiting on more injury-report updates before kickoff, and that leaves a real layer of tension around how the defense might look. If Robinson cannot go, it would be a meaningful blow to a unit that needs its best answers available against USCs offense, and the Badgers may not know exactly what they have until much closer to game time. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Already Faces A Tough 2027 Quarterback Decision
The Badgers are already in the thick of planning for the 2027 quarterback market, and Colton Joseph has emerged as one of the names worth watching. Wisconsin is reportedly negotiating with Joseph for that season after a mixed year, a reminder of how quickly the transfer landscape is forcing programs to make decisions well ahead of time.
Louisville, Nebraska and West Virginia are dealing with similar conversations as they sort through their own transfer quarterbacks after successful seasons, which only adds to the pressure. With the 2027 market expected to be busy and full of uncertainty, Wisconsins interest in Joseph is part of a much bigger race to line up the right answer before the window starts to close. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Gets USC At A Complicated Time In Madison
A tough November stretch has put USC in a position where every road game feels weighted a little differently, and the trip to Madison comes with plenty of moving parts. The No. 16 Trojans are heading into a key matchup against Wisconsin with their final five games looming, and they may have to sort through injury questions along the way. Tight end Mark Bowman and defensive tackle Jide Abasiri both remain questionable, adding another layer of uncertainty before a game that already carries plenty of significance.
Jayden Maiava has been one of the more impressive pieces of USCs season, and Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell made sure to acknowledge what the quarterback brings to the table ahead of the meeting. For the Badgers, it is another chance to test themselves against a ranked opponent at a time when the Trojans are trying to keep their momentum intact despite the strain of the schedule and the health concerns on the roster. [Read more 🡒]