NCAA Basketball: Duke, Memphis, Michigan State rise in latest top 25 power rankings
By Joey Loose
15. Wisconsin (11-3)
While these Badgers had a few difficulties early in the season, a nice stretch really proved that this team belonged in the national conversation. They beat Virginia, Marquette, and Michigan State by double figures and even after a blowout loss at Arizona still look even better than expected. There have been challenges and it’s early to call this team a real contender, but the Badgers are answering questions this season.
Fresh after more than a week off, Wisconsin was back on the court on Tuesday and came away with an 83-72 home win over Iowa. It wasn’t the cleanest performance in the world, but Tyler Wahl had 19 points and 8 rebounds, Steven Crowl had a double-double, and the Badgers did more than enough as a team. The Badgers were still at home over the weekend, getting an 88-72 win against Nebraska. Wahl led the team with 17 points, as the Badgers were at 50% from outside the arc in another win.
No matter how you slice it, Wisconsin’s 3-0 start in Big Ten play is impressive, especially with the parity in the league this season. We’ve seen that the Badgers can be an explosive offense and productive defense, but the weeks ahead will tell us the full story. How will they fare each night against a wildly inconsistent group of conference foes? A real challenge awaits in Columbus on Wednesday.