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Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over UT Rio Grande

This story was updated to add new information.

Wisconsin basketball improved to 5-0 on the 2024-25 season with an 87-84 win over UT Rio Grande on Monday.

The Badgers struggled defensively for much of the contest, allowing the Vaqueros to shoot 49% from the floor and nearly 40% from 3. The team was somewhat on the ropes midway through the second half before John Blackwell and John Tonje led a scoring surge that tipped the scales, eventually leading to the three-point win.

One big stat that continues to matter: Wisconsin shot 84.4% (27-of-32) from the free-throw line in the victory. The team’s final 11 points came from the charity stripe. The Badgers are No. 2 in the nation in team free throw percentage at 88.6%; the stat has been a driving force behind the team’s 5-0 start.

That undefeated start led to national recognition, even before the win over UT Rio Grande. Wisconsin entered the AP Poll at No. 19 and USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll at No. 25 on Monday.

While the Badgers’ resume is building with each passing performance, their win on Monday didn’t impress some rating metrics. Wisconsin dropped 11 spots in KenPom from No. 29 to No. 40 after the win. Greg Gard’s team possesses the 18th-ranked offense and 83rd-ranked defense in the metric.

Allowing 84 points to a UT Rio Grande team that is No. 199 in KenPom assuredly led to the ratings downgrade, specifically defensively.

The Badgers also dropped from No. 22 in ESPN BPI to No. 30, reflecting the same general trend. BPI has the team’s projected final record at 19.6-10.4 and gives it an 8.2% chance to win the Big Ten.

Minus the needed defensive improvements, it’s hard to not be impressed by Wisconsin’s start to the season. This early season stage figured to see significant growing pains with new faces in the rotation. Instead, the Badgers are flashing top form and entering the conversation atop the Big Ten.

Wisconsin is back on the court on Friday against UCF at the Greenbrier Tip-Off.

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Wisconsin enters latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll

Wisconsin basketball cracked the top 25 of the latest USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll after the second week of the 2024-25 season.

The Badgers are up to No. 25 in the poll after Friday’s 103-88 win over No. 9 Arizona highlighted their 4-0 start to the season.

The USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll is conducted weekly throughout the college basketball regular season. It polls a panel of head coaches from across the country, each coach submitting a full 1-25 ranking. 25 points are awarded for every first-place vote, 24 points for second-place votes and so on.

Wisconsin earned 75 total votes in the poll’s latest update. It is the Badgers’ first appearance in the top 25 of the 2024-25 season.

Kansas still leads the nation after a 4-0 start. It is followed by UConn at No. 2, Auburn at No. 3, Gonzaga at No. 4 and Iowa State at No. 5. Other Big Ten teams in the top 25 are Purdue at No. 6, Indiana at No. 18, and Illinois at No. 20.

Here’s a look at the full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll following Nov. 18’s games:

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Kansas	4-0	665 (21)
2	UConn	3-0	632 (3)
3	Auburn	3-0	608 (2)
4	Gonzaga	3-0	599 (1)
5	Iowa State	2-0	516
6	Purdue	4-0	513
7	Houston	2-1	470
8	Alabama	3-1	470
9	Tennessee	4-0	462
10	Duke	3-1	421
11	Kentucky	3-0	381
12	North Carolina	2-1	377
13	Creighton	4-0	348
14	Marquette	4-0	319
15	Baylor	3-1	313
16	Cincinnati	3-0	229
17	Arizona	2-1	228
18	Indiana	3-0	208
19	Florida	4-0	168
20	Illinois	3-0	133
21	St. John’s	4-0	119
22	Texas Tech	3-0	95
23	Texas A&M	3-1	94
24	Arkansas	2-1	82
25	Wisconsin	4-0	75

Schools Dropped Out

No. 22 Ohio State; No. 24 Rutgers;

Others Receiving Votes

Rutgers 56; Xavier 43; Ole Miss 39; BYU 28; Saint Mary’s 18; Pittsburgh 18; Texas 14; Michigan State 9; Mississippi State 5; Oregon 4; Nevada 4; Ohio State 3; Dayton 3; Wake Forest 2; VCU 2; UCF 2;

Wisconsin is back on the court on Monday night against UT-Rio Grande. The team will then travel for a set of weekend games at the Greenbrier Classic.

Greg Gard and the Badgers are looking to continue their dream start to the 2024-25 season. National recognition has quickly followed the team’s big win over the Wildcats.

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Gators bounce back in ESPN’s SP+ rankings after LSU victory

Florida sits just outside the top 30 in ESPN’s SP+ rankings after beating LSU.

The football gods smiled on the Florida Gators on Saturday, when they upset the then-22nd-ranked LSU Tigers in the Swamp, 27-16. The win opens the door for a postseason appearance with just two games remaining on the fall slate.

While it was not a perfect performance, the Orange and Blue got a complete effort from all three corps — offense, defense and special teams. The program got a huge boost with the return of [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] under center, who made some key plays down the stretch.

The SEC rivalry win gives Florida a tidy boost in many of the media’s standings despite still receiving no votes in the US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Poll. They did move up in Bill Connelly’s ESPN SP+ rankings, however.

Florida football’s SP+ ranking, rating

Following the victory inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Connelly’s rankings moved the Gators up from No. 39 last week out of 134 Football Bowl Subdivision schools with a 6.9 overall rating to No. 31 with a 9.0 rating. That puts Billy Napier’s squad between the No. 30 North Carolina Tar Heels and No. 32 Army Black Knights.

On offense, the team remained at No. 33 while the rating rose from 31.6 to 32.3. The defense gained some ground in the rankings, moving up from No. 49 to No. 43; however, the rating fell from 25.0 to 23.7.

The special teams unit, which spent a few weeks as the top-rated corps in the country at the start of the schedule, earned back the 0.1 points they lost last week while moving up from No. 25 to No. 12 with a 0.4 rating.

SP+ rankings top 10 teams

The Ohio State Buckeyes maintain the top spot in the rankings for the third straight week, while the Alabama Crimson Tide leapfrogged the Texas Longhorns to take over the second spot; the Ole Miss Rebels and Oregon Ducks round out the rest of the top five.

The Georgia Bulldogs held onto their No. 6 spot, followed by the Penn State Nittany Lions and Notre Dame Fighting Irish — who swapped the seventh and eighth spots, respectively. The Miami Hurricanes and Tennessee Volunteers also switched places for the ninth and tenth spots respectively.

About SP+ predictions

“SP+ is intended to be predictive and forward-facing,” according to ESPN. “It is not a résumé ranking that gives credit for big wins or particularly brave scheduling — no good predictive system is.

“It is simply a measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football. If you’re lucky or unimpressive in a win, your rating will probably fall. If you’re strong and unlucky in a loss, it will probably rise.”

Up next for the Gators

The Gators play their final home game of the season against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

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Win over LSU nudges Florida up Football Power Index rankings

A huge win over LSU puts Florida on the cusp of the Football Power Index rankings top 25.

Florida football scored a key win on Saturday against the LSU Tigers that may have just saved the 2024 season for the Gators. Fueled by the return of freshman quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag], the Orange and Blue secured a 27-16 victory in the Swamp that puts the program on track for a postseason appearance.

Billy Napier’s boys turned in a complete team effort that — while not perfectly executed — was enough to overcome their top-25 opponent in Week 12. The offense found a groove, the defense stood strong when it counted most and the special teams unit was once again special.

As a result of the massive intra-conference triumph, ESPN’s Football Power Index gave Florida a small boost in its rankings as the college football regular season schedule nears a close.

Florida football’s FPI ranking, rating

Following the win, the FPI raised Florida two spots from No. 28 last week to No. 26, with the team’s overall rating rising from 9.3 to 10.5. That puts the Gators between the No. 25 Kansas State Wildcats and No. 27 Oklahoma Sooners.

Napier and Co. are now given a robust 85.1% chance of winning six games this fall — up from 43.6% — along with an 18.6% chance of winning out, as well as a 0% chance of winning the conference, a 0% chance of making the College Football Playoffs, a 0% chance of making the championship game and a 0% chance of winning the national title.

The FPI’s final record prediction rose from 5.4-6.6 to an even 6.0-6.0, which projects a bowl berth for the Orange and Blue.

SEC teams in FPI

The Texas Longhorns ascended to the top spot this week carrying a 26.7 overall rating, followed by the Alabama Crimson Tide (2nd, 26.6) — who slipped from the No. 1 position — and Georgia Bulldogs (5th, 23.0) among the top five schools.

The Ole Miss Rebels (6th, 22.4) and Tennessee Volunteers (9th, 19.3) wrap up the SEC teams in the top 10, while the South Carolina Gamecocks (13th, 14.5), Texas A&M Aggies (14th, 14.4), LSU (19th, 13.1) and Missouri Tigers (24th, 11.0) round out the top 25.

The remainder of the conference schools in the FPI are Florida (26th, 10.5), Oklahoma (27th, 10.3), the Auburn Tigers (28th, 9.1), Arkansas Razorbacks (32nd, 8.3), Vanderbilt Commodores (38th, 6.6), Kentucky Wildcats (46th, 5.5) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (69th, 0.0).

Up next for the Gators

The Gators play their final home game of the season against the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday, Nov. 23. Kickoff is set for noon ET and will be broadcast on ABC.

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Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Arizona

Wisconsin basketball is on the rise after its 103-88 win over No. 9 Arizona on Friday.

The Badgers are 4-0 after the statement victory. The team, which had tempered expectations entering the year, appears to again be one of the Big Ten’s best.

Those season expectations should rise as the team flashes top form during nonconference play. It will be tested once the Big Ten schedule begins, especially with the inclusion of the conference’s new members.

Before that point, it’s worth documenting the team’s ascension in rating metrics and national rankings. KenPom and ESPN BPI are taking note of the Badgers’ stellar start to the season:

KenPom: No. 30 overall (up 10 spots) — No. 17 offense, No. 57 defense
ESPN BPI: No. 23 overall (up six spots) — 14.2 rating, 20.6 – 9.4 projected record, 15.4% chance to win Big Ten Conference

Wisconsin is sure to enter the AP Poll Top 25 when it is updated to start the week. It should hold ranking with a home game against UT-Rio Grande on Monday before a weekend trip to the Greenbrier Tip-Off, which includes Pittsburgh, Central Florida and LSU.

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Wisconsin basketball rockets up both KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Appalachian State

Wisconsin basketball improved to 3-0 on the 2024-25 season with a blowout win over Appalachian State on Sunday.

The win was powered by transfer wing John Tonje, a common sentence in the season’s early stages. He finished with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting, plus seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Senior center Steven Crowl also had his best outing of the young season, adding 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.

Wisconsin is off to a strong start. Though the opponents are far from the class of the sport, the Badgers are taking clear steps forward with every contest. That improvement, mixed with decisive winning, should be enough to create optimism surrounding the team’s rest-of-season outlook.

For more on that outlook, here is where Greg Gard’s group stands in KenPom and ESPN’s Basketball Power Index after the win over Appalachian State:

KenPom: No. 40 overall (up nine spots) — No. 37 offense, No. 55 defense
ESPN BPI: No. 29 overall (up 10 spots) — 13.1 rating, 18.8 – 11.2 projected record, 6.7% chance to win Big Ten Conference

Those trend lines are just from the decisive victory over Appalachian State. The movement has the team now ranked No. 5 in the Big Ten by BPI and No. 10 by KenPom.

The latter may be a bit more reserved on the Badgers’ quality after only three games. Regardless, it’s worthwhile noting that our updated Big Ten basketball power rankings aren’t the only measure that is upgrading Wisconsin after the first week of the season.

The Badgers are back on the Kohl Center court for a premier matchup against No. 10 Arizona on Friday. A win would only continue the team’s current upward trajectory.

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Where Wisconsin football stands in ESPN SP+ entering big game vs. No. 1 Oregon

Wisconsin will enter Saturday’s matchup against the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks as sizable underdogs.

Aside from the Las Vegas spread, every metric system projects a big gap between the two teams — and understandably so. Oregon is 10-0 on the season, 7-0 in Big Ten play and has won each of its last four games by at least 21 points. Wisconsin, meanwhile, is 5-4 on the season and recently allowed 329 rushing yards in a blowout loss to Iowa.

ESPN SP+ is one of those metrics. Wisconsin exits its bye week ranked No. 44 overall (No. 86 offense, No. 22 defense) with an overall rating of 5.9. Oregon is up at No. 3 overall (No. 2 offense, No. 10 defense) with a rating of 27.4.

Ignoring factors like home-field advantage, SP+ sees the Ducks as 21.5 points better than the Badgers at this stage of the season.

SP+ RANKINGS AFTER 11 WEEKS (after maybe its best week of the season):

* Tulane: 📈📈📈
* FSU, Florida and Washington: 📉📉📉
* NO. 4 SEED SMU
* The Résumé SP+ top 15, once again led by your mighty, indomitable Indiana Hoosiershttps://t.co/MnZsUntkJO

— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) November 10, 2024

Wisconsin enters the matchup after consecutive the losses, including the mentioned blowout at Iowa. The team sits one win short of bowl eligibility. It could clinch a postseason berth and then some with an upset win over the Ducks.

The matchup is Wisconsin’s first home game against a No. 1-ranked team in the AP Poll since it famously defeated then-No. 1 Ohio State in 2010. Luke Fickell and company will look to repeat that well-known performance.

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Big Ten Conference dominates latest US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 11

Big Ten Conference leads latest US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 11

The Big Ten highlights the latest US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 11 of the 2024 college football season.

The conference boasts No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten), No. 2 Ohio State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten), No. 5 Penn State (8-1, 5-1 Big Ten) and No. 6 Indiana (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten). Illinois (6-3, 3-3 Big Ten) also made it into the ‘receiving votes’ category.

The poll, conducted weekly throughout the college football regular season, receives input from a panel of head coaches at Football Bowl Subdivision schools. Those coaches submit a full 1-through-25 ballot, which combines into the poll’s full standings.

Notable Week 11 results shook up the poll’s top group, with Georgia (now No. 10) losing to Ole Miss and Miami (now No. 12) losing to Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, Big Ten powers Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State and Indiana all triumphed, the first three in blowout fashion.

That leads to the conference currently containing four of the top six-ranked teams in the country.

Here is a full look at the latest US LBM Coaches Poll after Week 11:

US LBM Coaches Poll:

Rank	Team	Record	Points
1	Oregon Ducks	10-0	1,375 (55)
2	Ohio State Buckeyes	8-1	1,314
3	Texas Longhorns	8-1	1,262
4	Tennessee Volunteers	8-1	1,138
5	Penn State Nittany Lions	8-1	1,113
6	Indiana Hoosiers	10-0	1,057
7	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	8-1	1,038
8	BYU Cougars	9-0	994
9	Alabama Crimson Tide	7-2	899
10	Georgia Bulldogs	7-2	887
11	Ole Miss Rebels	8-2	877
12	Miami Hurricanes	9-1	820
13	SMU Mustangs	8-1	691
13	Boise State Broncos	8-1	691
15	Texas A&M Aggies	7-2	597
16	Clemson Tigers	7-2	536
17	Army Black Knights	9-0	466
18	Washington State Cougars	8-1	385
19	Kansas State Wildcats	7-2	332
20	Colorado Buffaloes	7-2	329
21	Missouri Tigers	7-2	277
22	LSU Tigers	6-3	257
23	South Carolina Gamecocks	6-3	118
24	Louisville Cardinals	6-3	109
25	Iowa State Cyclones	7-2	92

Schools Dropped Out
No. 23 Pittsburgh; No. 25 Vanderbilt;
Others Receiving Votes
Tulane 85; Louisiana 42; Arizona State 30; Pittsburgh 28; UNLV 17; Memphis 11; Navy 3; James Madison 2; Illinois 2;Duke 1;

Wisconsin faces No. 1 Oregon next Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. CT, broadcast on NBC.

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Where Wisconsin basketball stands in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Montana State

Wisconsin basketball place in KenPom and ESPN BPI after win over Montana State

Wisconsin basketball improved to 2-0 on the young season with a victory over Montana State on Thursday.

The win was highlighted by the efficiency of Greg Gard’s team, as it shot 45% from the field, 50% from three-point range and 95% from the free-throw line. Those shooting rates helped the team avoid the same slow start it experienced in its opening victory over Holy Cross.

Montana State entered Thursday ranked No. 175 in ESPN BPI and No. 194 in KenPom. While the team is far from the quality of Wisconsin’s upcoming Big Ten opponents, it does boast three consecutive Big Sky tournament titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. The Bobcats have become the class of the conference and a dangerous mid-major foe.

Despite that, Wisconsin’s decisive victory did not do much to improve its place in either ESPN’s Basketball Power Index or KenPom. The Badgers sit at No. 39 nationally in BPI and No. 49 in KenPom after the 2-0 start. Neither of those rankings changed after the latest victory.

BPI specifically ranks the Badgers as the No. 8 team in the Big Ten while KenPom has the group down at No. 12 in the conference.

It is still extremely early in the college basketball season — more than a month remains before the real start of the conference schedule. These ranking updates are a valuable look at were the Badgers project long-term. As is always the case, continued winning in the non-conference schedule will only help that standing.

The Badgers are next on the court on Sunday, Nov. 10 at noon ET, 11 a.m. CT against the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Wisconsin will look for another big step forward en route to a 3-0 start.

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Wisconsin basketball falls in ESPN BPI after opening win over Holy Cross

Wisconsin basketball began its 2024-25 season with an 85-61 victory over Holy Cross on Monday.

Despite the final 24-point margin, the win was far from a wire-to-wire dominant showing. The Badgers trailed 13-3 in the first minutes, 23-7 halfway through the first half and 36-35 at halftime. The team eventually found its form, but could not coast to an easy victory against ESPN BPI’s No. 331 (of 364) team in the sport.

Those early-game struggles and lack of overall dominance saw the Badgers dip in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index despite the win. The team dropped from its preseason slot of No. 28 down to No. 39, also down to the No. 9-ranked team in the Big Ten.

ESPN BPI now projects the Badgers’ final record at 18.2 — 11.8 (10.4 — 9.6 in Big Ten play), and gives them a 5.5% chance to win the conference.

The good news: early-season rankings updates don’t define a team’s rest-of-season fate. The 2024-25 Badgers may face a predictable slow start with several new faces in the lineup. But the team projects to be one that improves as the season continues, especially as the transfer additions gel in the rotation and top youngsters including Daniel Freitag continue to develop.

Wisconsin’s second-half performance against Holy Cross showed the start of that development, as transfer wing John Tonje and sophomore forward Nolan Winter took over the matchup.

The Badgers are back on the Kohl Center court on Thursday against Montana State (No. 173 in BPI). They then continue with a home matchup with Appalachian State (No. 194) before a high-profile showdown with top-ranked Arizona (No. 5).

Badgers fans should watch for progress from the team through each of these matchups. Steady development from Greg Gard’s group will have it in strong position once Big Ten play heats up in January.

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