NCAA Basketball: Arizona, UConn, Marquette, Baylor all fall in latest top 25 power rankings

24. Wisconsin (9-3)

Wisconsin’s play has been far from flawless this season to date, but these Badgers do look like one of the best teams in the Big Ten. All three losses have been by double-digits, but they’ve come at the hands of Tennessee, Providence, and Arizona. On the other hands, the Badgers boast double-digit victories over Virginia, Marquette, and Michigan State and have had themselves quite the nonconference journey.

That journey was simpler this past week, as Wisconsin’s only contest became an 80-53 home win against Chicago State. AJ Storr really stood out his 29-point performance in a dominant win over the Cougars, putting the Badgers in a good place for the Christmas holiday.

You won’t find many other Big Ten teams in these national rankings, and this rollercoaster for Wisconsin has been enough to put them in position. They’re a fantastic team when they play to their potential, though that early December blowout loss at Arizona does give us some pause when considering their ceiling. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Badgers competing near the top of the Big Ten standings. We won’t see them in action until after New Year’s, though they actually have a pretty easy first few weeks in conference play.