Where does Wisconsin basketball sit in USA TODAY's 2026-27 Top 25?
Even after losing a ton of star players and suffering another early tournament exit, the Wisconsin Badgers were still named to a way-too-early top 25. USA TODAY's Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg put together their top 25 poll for the 2026-27 season. They included the Badgers at No.
24. Michigan State topped the chart at No. 1, with the Michigan Wolverines falling to No.
3. Other Big Ten teams listed include: No. 6 Illinois, No.
16 Purdue, No. 18 Nebraska, and No. 19 Iowa.
"With guard John Blackwell entering the portal, look for the Badgers to be active in adding depth and shooting to the wing rotation," they wrote. "What Wisconsin has is an experienced frontline led by Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp, which should lead to a different look on offense. But the pieces are in place for another top-six finish in the Big Ten.