25. Wisconsin (22-12)
Things haven’t been pretty in recent weeks for Wisconsin and there’s no denying that. The Badgers were comfortably ranked and in great position when they were 16-4 at the end of January, but February was plain putrid. However, the Badgers aren’t back in these rankings based off a 3-8 stretch to end the regular season but on the backs of an incredible run in Minneapolis.
Starting their Big Ten Tournament run on Thursday, the Badgers made quick work of Maryland for an 87-56 win, led by John Blackwell’s 18 points off the bench. In the quarterfinals, Wisconsin played well in a 70-61 victory over Northwestern, getting 30 points and 6 rebounds from AJ Storr in a phenomenal performance. The week’s real highlight was their work on Saturday, doing the unthinkable in a 76-75 overtime upset over Purdue in the semifinals. Chucky Hepburn had 22 points and the shot to send it to overtime while Max Klesmit had the game-winner in the closing seconds.
With their entire body of work, Wisconsin is a team that’s shown that they can win big games and cause damage during March Madness. It’s impossible to ignore those struggles back in February and early March but they’ve begun exorcizing their demons with this effort in the Big Ten Tourney. The road isn’t complete yet, as they’ll face Illinois in the finals tomorrow before awaiting their matchup and location for the Big Dance.