25. Wisconsin (13-5)
At times this season the Badgers have not looked at all like a ranked team, evident in blowout losses to BYU and Nebraska earlier in the season. Their tough home loss to Purdue two weeks ago was more evidence that Wisconsin might not hold up and contend this season, but then they went to Ann Arbor and got one of the most surprising and impressive wins of the season against Michigan.
They followed up that success with another road win, this time needing a John Blackwell buzzer beater to win 78-75 at Minnesota. They downed the Golden Gophers thanks to Blackwell’s 27-point performance while Braeden Carrington added 21 points off the bench. Saturday was steadier, using a strong opening half to pull away in a 96-87 home win against Rutgers. Nick Boyd starred this time with 32 points and 9 assists.
In what was a troubling week for many teams around the nation, the Badgers did exactly what they needed to get two more wins, pushing to 5-2 in Big Ten play. We’re still not completely sold on Wisconsin as a top-level contender but if they play like they have been then there’s plenty of hope for Blackwell, Boyd, and company. Greg Gard’s team gets a few days off and then a trip to Penn State in what should be another winnable road game.