23. Wisconsin (22-9)
There have certainly been some nights when Wisconsin has been overmatched, suffering big blowouts early in the year to the likes of BYU and Nebraska. However, when they’re on their game and making shots, the Badgers can beat any team in the nation and that’s not an exaggeration. They still possess one of the most impressive wins this season at Michigan and have also won at Illinois and hammered Michigan State in this exciting Big Ten race.
We got to see them hammer another conference foe earlier this week, with the Badgers producing a 78-45 win over Maryland. Their final home game turned into quite the spectacle, with Braeden Carrington leading that charge with his 18-point effort. The real magic came on Saturday as Wisconsin went to Purdue and left town with yet another massive road victory, toppling the Boilermakers 97-93. John Blackwell had 25 points, Nick Boyd had 23 points, and the hot-shooting Badgers made 53% of their 3-pointers in West Lafayette.
It’s hard to bank on a team that has also had some cold moments, but Wisconsin could show up any night and shoot the cover off the ball. The Badgers feel like a team that could go down early in the Big Dance or make a significant run with this offense carrying them towards glory. We’ll see what kind of run they can make at the Big Ten Tournament, where they’re likely looking at the 5-seed, though that could still change.