Tag: big ten standings

Wisconsin basketball rises in Big Ten standings, thanks to rival Minnesota

Wisconsin basketball rises in Big Ten Conference standings without playing a game

Wisconsin basketball (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) is alone in fourth place in the Big Ten standings after Minnesota’s upset win over Oregon on Saturday.

The result dropped Oregon (16-4, 5-4 Big Ten) into a crowd of teams tied for fifth. Wisconsin was idle on Saturday as it prepared for a Sunday home game against Nebraska.

Related: Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after UCLA loss

Minnesota’s recent play is one of the biggest stories in the conference. The Gophers have won three straight: 84-81 vs. No. 21 Michigan, 72-67 at Iowa, and 77-69 vs. No. 15 Oregon. That trio of Quad 1 victories follows the team’s 0-6 start in conference play. That start included an 80-59 loss to Wisconsin.

The Badgers’ victory over their rival continues to improve in quality with those results. The two teams are set for a rematch in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 5 in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

Oregon, meanwhile, will visit Madison, Wisconsin on Feb. 22. The team is falling in the conference standings after a red-hot start. It has two losses in the last three games.

Wisconsin takes the Kohl Center court against Nebraska at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT on Sunday. The team is looking to return to the win column after a road loss to UCLA.

The Badgers, alone in fourth place, are behind Michigan (14-5, 6-2 Big Ten), Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) and Michigan State (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) in the Big Ten standings. They have road games remaining against the top two teams.

Wisconsin isn’t far from contending for a Big Ten title. A win over Nebraska is a required first step in that direction.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion

Wisconsin continues surge in Big Ten standings after win over USC

Updated Big Ten standings after Wisconsin’s win over USC

The Wisconsin Badgers extended their win streak to seven games with an 84-69 win over USC on Saturday.

That streak dates back to the team’s Dec. 14 win over Butler. It has included five straight conference triumphs — 116-85 over Iowa, 75-63 over Rutgers, 80-59 over Minnesota, 79-68 over Ohio State and Saturday’s victory. It has moved the team’s record up to an impressive 15-3 overall and 5-2 in Big Ten play.

Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s road win over USC

Wisconsin has predictably surged in both traditional standings and predictive rating metrics during its winning stretch. It is up to No. 20 in KenPom (No. 13 offensive efficiency, No. 47 defense), still the fifth-highest-ranked team in the Big Ten. It is also nearing the top tier of the conference standings. Only 1 1/2 games separate it from the top-seeded Spartans:

Updated Big Ten Standings

1. Michigan State Spartans (15-2, 6-0 Big Ten)

2. Purdue Boilermakers (15-4, 7-1 Big Ten)

3. Michigan Wolverines (13-4, 5-1 Big Ten)

4. (tie) Illinois Fighting Illini (13-4, 5-2 Big Ten)

4. (tie) Wisconsin Badgers (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten)

6. Indiana Hoosiers (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten)

7. Oregon Ducks (15-3, 4-3 Big Ten)

8. (tie) Maryland Terrapins (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten)

8. (tie) Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-8, 3-4 Big Ten)

8. (tie) UCLA Bruins (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten)

8. (tie) USC Trojans (11-7, 3-4 Big Ten)

8. (tie) Iowa Hawkeyes (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten)

13. (tie) Nebraska Cornhuskers (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten)

13. (tie) Northwestern Wildcats (11-6, 2-4 Big Ten)

15. (tie) Penn State Nittany Lions (12-6, 2-5 Big Ten)

15. (tie) Ohio State Buckeyes (10-8, 2-5 Big Ten)

17. (tie) Washington Huskies (10-8, 1-6 Big Ten)

17. (tie) Minnesota Golden Gophers (9-9, 1-6 Big Ten)

Wisconsin is back on the court on Tuesday at UCLA. Another victory could cement the Badgers as a conference contender and potential top-four seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion

Wisconsin football plummets in ESPN FPI and SP+ after loss to Nebraska

Wisconsin football plummets in ESPN FPI and SP+ after loss to Nebraska

Wisconsin’s season continued to dive in the wrong direction on Saturday, the latest result a 44-25 loss to rival Nebraska.

The Badgers are now 5-6 on the season and 3-5 in Big Ten play. They stood at 5-2 and 3-1, respectively, just four weeks ago. What followed was a home loss to Penn State, a blowout loss to Iowa, a narrow defeat to top-ranked Oregon and Saturday’s historic loss to Nebraska. That four-game stretch has changed the 2024 season, and is beginning to change the overall sentiment surrounding Luke Fickell and the program.

Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin’s 44-25 loss to Nebraska

Part of that sentiment is seen in ESPN FPI and SP+’s latest updates.

Wisconsin entered the Nebraska game ranked No. 34 in FPI. The loss dropped the team down to No. 41. FPI now projects the Badgers’ final record at 5.5 – 6.5 and gives it just a 51% chance to defeat Minnesota in Week 14 and make a bowl game.

SP+ is even less confident in the team’s quality. The Nebraska loss dropped Wisconsin from No. 50 to No. 59 in the metric. It is now ranked as the No. 13 team in the Big Ten, ahead of only Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern and Purdue.

Having a coin-flip Week 14 game to reach bowl eligibility and being ranked in the class of Rutgers and Maryland is far below the program’s typical standard. It’s also far below the expectation set by both Chris McIntosh and Luke Fickell when the latter was hired in 2022.

A win over Minnesota to extend the program’s bowl streak to 23 games would be an important step in the right direction. Otherwise, the program’s rapid fall from national relevance will only continue.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

Iowa lands commitment from former Big Ten West starting quarterback

Big news for Wisconsin’s 2024 schedule:

The Iowa Hawkeyes landed a commitment from former Northwestern starting quarterback Brendan Sullivan on Wednesday.

Sullivan surprisingly entered the transfer portal in late April after three years with the Wildcats. He was the team’s starter for a chunk of last season, completing 63.6% of his passes for 714 yards, 6 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He was projected to be the full-time starter entering 2024.

Related: Post-spring Big Ten football 2024 power rankings, starting quarterback rankings

Iowa lands Sullivan as it prepares for an important 2024 campaign. Five-year veteran Cade McNamara is back for a final season after missing much of 2023 with a leg injury. He projects to be the starter, though Sullivan could push him for that job.

The Hawkeyes recently saw backup Deacon Hill enter the portal during the spring window, so there was likely some writing on the wall that another quarterback could be entering the room.

Iowa needs to re-shape the position group after several putrid years of offensive production. The program hired Tim Lester to be its offensive coordinator this offseason and expect him to improve the unit from where it was under Brian Ferentz.

Sullivan has two years of eligibility remaining. If he doesn’t win the job this offseason, he’d almost-definitely be the Hawkeyes’ starter in 2025.

Wisconsin visits Iowa on November 2. This news now confirms the team will have better quarterback play than when the two teams met in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Hawkeyes have won the last two in the series and three of the last four.

For more on Wisconsin’s transfer portal activity this spring as Luke Fickell works to improve the roster, check out our 2024 spring transfer portal window tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.

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Wisconsin basketball slips in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology

Wisconsin is in the midst of its worst stretch of the season

Wisconsin basketball is in the midst of its worst stretch of the season.

Since the start of February, the Badgers have blown a 19-point lead on the road at Nebraska, lost a tight one to No. 2 Purdue and then lost on the road to Michigan — the worst team in the conference.

The team has dropped to 16-7 overall and 8-4 in the Big Ten, now a full two games behind first-place Purdue.

Related: Wisconsin social media reacts to crushing loss to last-place Michigan

The Badgers will still make the NCAA Tournament, barring an unforeseen collapse over the last eight games. But the team was edging on the 1-seed line just a week ago. It now has dropped to a 3-seed and the No. 10 overall team in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology.

The Badgers are back tomorrow in a tough road matchup at Rutgers. The program needs a win badly to halt the losing streak and maintain pace with Purdue and Illinois.

Michigan’s Juwan Howard suffered a historic loss to Rutgers on Saturday

Things have gone from bad to worse for Juwan Howard at Michigan

Michigan basketball is in a very bad place at the moment.

This year’s Wolverines are 7-15 overall, 2-9 in Big Ten play and 1-10 in their  last 11 games. The program is nearly certain to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. It went 23-5 and made the Elite Eight in 2020-21. Then it went 19-15 in 2021-22, 18-16 in 2022-23 and now this season’s disaster.

For reference, Feb. 20, 2022 was the date Juwan Howard slapped Joe Krabbenhoft and ignited a brawl after the Badgers’ win. Wisconsin’s record since that date is 40-23. Michigan’s is 30-35

The problems reached a crescendo for Howard’s program on Saturday. The Wolverines led Rutgers by 17 points at halftime and led 47-32 with 16:54 left in the second half. The Scarlet Knights then scored 37 of the next 49 points — a 37-12 run — to win 69-59.

Howard can recruit, and he’s clearly still an important figure in Michigan basketball history. But I’m not sure how the Michigan athletic department watches this collapse from 2020-21 and doesn’t take action.

Michigan is by far the worst team in the Big Ten this season.

Northwestern’s coach had an all-time ejection last night as Purdue was handed a victory

Northwestern’s coach had an all-time ejection last night as Purdue was handed a victory

Wisconsin basketball was almost given a gift last night…almost. Instead, it appears to be Purdue on the receiving end.

Chris Collins and the surprising Northwestern Wildcats played on the road at Purdue yesterday. The Boilermakers scratched out a 105-96 overtime victory thanks to 30 points and 15 rebounds from Zach Edey, 26 points on 5/7 shooting from three from Lance Jones and, most importantly, a free throw disparity of 46 to eight. Yes, Purdue went 29/46 from the free throw line while Northwestern went only 6/8.

The Boilermakers could have five Zach Edeys on the floor and get hacked every time down the court, but that still wouldn’t explain one team shooting nearly 40 more free throws than the other. Last night was just a terribly officiated basketball game.

Related: Looking ahead to Wisconsin’s 2024 football schedule

For Wisconsin purposes, a Northwestern victory in the contest would’ve given the Badgers a full-game lead atop the Big Ten standings with a tough two-game stretch upcoming — at Nebraska tonight and home against Purdue on Sunday. Instead, Wisconsin and Purdue are technically tied entering the Badgers’ contest tonight at Nebraska.

Regardless of the Big Ten ramifications and Wisconsin fans’ rooting interests, the officiating did give us an all-time ejection from Wildcats head coach Chris Collins:

And a terrific postgame monologue. I’d call it a rant, but it was too calm and well-directed.

I think Collins is in the right here, even if it meant losing his mind at the end of the game. Now Wisconsin will hope it doesn’t experience the same fate when Edey and the Boilermakers visit Madison on Sunday afternoon.

Apparently it’s now acceptable to storm the court against the No. 11 team in the country

Apparently it’s now acceptable to storm the court against the No. 11 team in the country

Sporting norms change as the years go by.

Tonight, Wisconsin lost to Penn State 87-83 to fall to 13-4 on the season and 5-1 in Big Ten play. The Badgers’ incredible start to the season still exists, but the team now has a blemish in conference play with Purdue sitting a game back at 4-2.

There are several stories from the game. The officiating was suspect, the game tipped off at 9 p.m. eastern for some reason and the Badgers lost to one of the worst teams in the conference. It’s a game you as a team try to move past quickly.

One other story from the game that must be pointed out is that the Penn State faithful rushed the court after the win. Now I don’t know what’s acceptable and what isn’t, but the team beat the No. 11 team in the nation (who was at No. 15 just two days ago). It wasn’t a titanic upset against the No. 1-ranked team in the land.

Yes, the Badgers were 5.5-point favorites. So the concept of rushing the court when the team was favored isn’t in play here.

But I’ll throw a flag on this one. There should be an arbitrary cutoff at the nation’s top 10, or maybe even top 5. We can’t have courts being stormed against a team ranked No. 11 in the nation.

Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 11: A dark day for Wisconsin

Big Ten Power Rankings after Week 11: A dark day for Wisconsin

Wisconsin fans may not be huge fans of these power rankings.

Things looked fine a few weeks ago, Wisconsin had just orchestrated an amazing comeback victory vs Illinois and had a great shot to win the Big Ten West.

But since then, things have collapsed. The team fell to top-ranked Ohio State, inexplicably lost at Indiana and now were lifeless in a 24-10 home loss to Northwestern.

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It’s been the worst stretch of Wisconsin football I can ever remember.

So, where does the rest of the Big Ten stand? There were big upsets and weird results all weekend in-conference. Here are our Power Rankings coming out of Week 11:

Wisconsin rises in the KenPom Ratings after 105-76 win over Arkansas State

Wisconsin rises in the KenPom Ratings after 105-76 win over Arkansas State

With a new season of college basketball comes a daily opportunity to see how the analytics community views the Badgers.

Greg Gard’s promising 2023-24 team entered the season ranked No. 20 in the metric, good for the No. 4 slot in the Big Ten behind Purdue, Michigan State and Illinois.

The 105-76 season-opening win over Arkansas State turned some heads, while a few high-profile teams including Michigan State dropped their season openers.

The win for Wisconsin moved the team up to No. 17 in the ranking, with the No. 20 offense and No. 14 defense. The Badgers are now the second-highest-ranked Big Ten team behind only Purdue at No. 1.

Gard’s team is back in action Friday night against No. 9-ranked Tennessee, and KenPom’s No. 8 team. It’s a massive game to kick off the season.