21. Wisconsin (15-4)
Aside from a difficult stretch in early December, things have gone according to plan for Wisconsin this season. The Badgers got off to a relatively hot start, picking up nice wins over Arizona and Pittsburgh, and have looked the part in Big Ten play as well. Coming into this week, the Badgers were riding a 7-game winning streak with several very nice performances, though all good things must come to an end.
That streak did end during the second leg of the Badgers’ road trip, falling 85-83 at UCLA three days after a solid win over USC. A strong second half fueled the Bruins, with Wisconsin losing for the first time in over a month. John Tonje had 24 points, John Blackwell added 23, and the Badgers dropped a tough one on the road despite shooting 50% from 3.
This team has been in every single conference game they’ve played to this point and that 5-3 mark isn’t bad by any means. The Badgers have left a win or two out there with some questionable defense, but this is still a team that can do damage in the coming months. They’re leaning less on Tonje and become a bit more of a cohesive unit, though tricky road games at Maryland and Northwestern await next week.