Wisconsin Cracks College Basketball's Preseason AP Poll
After Wisconsin suffered a second-round upset in the NCAA Tournament last season, many already started to doubt the program for next season because of the roster turnover. Key players such as John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl and more were leaving Madison, which raised questions entering the offseason.
However, Greg Gard and the Badgers reloaded with a plethora of newcomers. Replacing most of a historic offense, there are still plenty of talented rotation players, including Nick Boyd, Austin Rapp, Andrew Rhode and Elijah Gray.
Wisconsin Ranks No. 24 in the Preseason Top 25
The AP Poll rewarded the Badgers’ offseason with a spot in the preseason top 25. Wisconsin ranks No. 24, one spot above North Carolina and one spot under Creighton.
The Badgers are one of six Big Ten teams to be ranked, tied with the SEC and Big 12 for the most teams from the same conference to be featured. The other Big Ten teams are Purdue (No. 1), Michigan (No. 7), UCLA (No. 12), Illinois (No. 17) and Michigan State (No. 22).
Last season, Wisconsin was not featured in the preseason top 25, but managed to shock everyone and finish No. 16. At one point, the Badgers ranked No. 11 and were eventually given a No. 3 in the NCAA Tournament.
This season, the offense isn’t expected to be as efficient, but the defense has the chance to improve drastically with how deep the rotation is. The team has plenty of ball-stoppers and height, which will bode well in the rebounding and paint protections departments.
Offensively, the Badgers have great floor spacing. Winter and Rapp, although bigs, can stretch the floor and knock down deep shots. Keep an eye on the connection between Boyd and John Blackwell at the guard spots, as they are projected to be the team’s top scorers.
The Badgers will start the season ranked No. 20 in the KenPom rankings with a +21.70 net rating. They boast a 117.1 offensive rating (17th) and a 95.4 defensive rating (31st).
