23. Wisconsin (4-0)
Greg Gard has been the head coach at Wisconsin for nearly nine years and his tenure has been quite the up and down affair. The Badgers have been hunting for postseason success after a pair of early Sweet Sixteen’s, and were even upset by James Madison in last year’s opening round. Combine a plethora of new names with an underwhelming performance in the opening week and you’d be surprised by what just transpired this week.
Their third game of the season came back on Sunday and was another mid-major foe, though the Badgers played much better in an 87-56 win over Appalachian State. Both Steven Crowl and John Tonje scored 17 points in the easy win. Friday was the real test, and the Badgers certainly passed, upsetting a Top 10 Arizona squad in a 103-88 win at home. Tonje was the unquestionable hero with a career-high 41 points in a victory full of free throws, with the Badgers shooting 41 of 47 from the charity stripe.
A win like that can truly galvanize a team, especially one that’s still working things out. The Badgers have been a great defensive squad in recent years, though they can do legitimate damage in the Big Ten if the offense can continue to produce like this. They won’t shoot 47 free throws every night, but the long-range shooting has been inspiring in the early weeks. The Greenbrier Tip-Off gives them another opportunity next week, facing UCF and another power conference foe in their hopes of proving that this win was far from a fluke.