Wisconsin Basketball Leaps to No. 11 in the Latest AP Top 25 Poll

Following convincing victories against Ohio State and Northwestern last week, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team (13-3, 5-0 B1G) now sit at No. 11 in the AP Top 25, jumping four spots from their previous position in the polls.

Ahead of two favorable matchups against Penn State (8-9, 2-4 B1G) and Indiana (12-5, 4-2 B1G) on next week’s schedule, the Badgers are emerging as one of the nation’s most dangerous basketball teams this season.

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Wisconsin Basketball Cracks the Top 11 in Latest Rankings

Last week’s Top 25 teams combined for a ridiculous 17 losses across the nation, providing the Badgers an easy opportunity to climb the rankings. Wisconsin basketball took advantage of the occasion, passing powerhouse teams such as Arizona, Oklahoma, and Marquette on their way up.

The Badgers also hold a two-game lead in the Big Ten, following an Illinois loss to Maryland at home. Conference play has been phenomenal for Wisconsin so far this season, beating Nebraska and Northwestern sides that defeated Purdue, and demolishing a Tom Izzo-led Michigan State team on the road. Gard’s boys might just be the team to beat in the Big Ten this year, given their talent, depth, and ability to come away with highly contested games.

Junior guard Max Klesmit stepped into the spotlight last week for the Wisconsin Badgers, scoring 42 points in his last three halves on the court. The Neenah, Wisconsin native is averaging 8.9 points this season and slowly becoming one of the team’s most valuable players.

One could argue that Wisconsin is deserving of a top 10 spot in the rankings — especially over No. 9 Baylor and No. 10 Memphis — but jumping four spots in a tightly contested poll is something that Badger fans should be proud of. Already in the mix with blue bloods such as Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina, the Badgers might be one more undefeated week away from earning single digit honors in the AP Poll.

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