Ranking – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Former Wisconsin Badger is 247Sports’ best player in the transfer portal

Former Wisconsin guard A.J. Storr is 247Sports’ top available player in the transfer portal.

The website updated its rankings after Storr entered the portal on Thursday. Storr leads a list that includes Stanford big man Maxime Raynaud, Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi, USC small forward Kobe Johnson and Stanford guard Kanaan Carlyle.

Storr entered the portal after one stellar season with the Badgers. He averaged 28.8 minutes, 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.6 steals for Greg Gard’s team in 2023-24 and was a driving force behind much of its offensive success.

The former Wisconsin and St. John’s guard also entered his name into the NBA draft, so even returning for another collegiate season is a question.

College Basketball: The Top 🔟 available players in the transfer portal. 🏀

MORE: https://t.co/RIzw5skeCL pic.twitter.com/MQwG8NYxTJ

— 247Sports (@247Sports) March 29, 2024

Gard and his staff are sure to be active in the transfer portal this offseason. Both Storr and Tyler Wahl’s production must be accounted for entering a pivotal 2024-25.

For more on Wisconsin’s roster and transfer portal activity, check out Badgers Wire’s ongoing 2024 transfer portal 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 named one of the most attractive schools for future conference expansion

Wisconsin football was named one of the most attractive schools for any future conference expansion, according to an article by FootballScoop.

The ranking takes into account the factors that television executives are looking for: brand value, market size and general success.

FootballScoop’s exercise took every team in the nation and power-ranked them based on if conferences were disbanded immediately and built from scratch.

Wisconsin is No. 14 on the list with a total score of 241.9.

The 13 schools ranked ahead of Wisconsin, in order: Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, USC, Texas, Notre Dame, Georgia, Penn State, Florida, UCLA, Oklahoma, LSU and Texas A&M.

Every FBS school ranked by how attractive they'd be in conference realignment https://t.co/J98gLs0BgD via @zach_barnett

— FootballScoop (@FootballScoop) March 28, 2024

This list will be interesting to revisit if conference expansion continues in the next few years — notably with the ACC’s current struggles.

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Where Wisconsin basketball’s upcoming recruiting classes rank nationally

Wisconsin basketball enters the 2024 offseason needing a jolt.

The Badgers recently fell 72-61 to No. 12-seed James Madison in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The loss marked another disappointing early postseason exit for Greg Gard’s program and extended its Sweet Sixteen drought to seven years.

The focus now turns to 2024-25. The Badgers should return almost all of their talent from this past season, plus are set to welcome in top 2024 point guard recruit Daniel Freitag. The program will also be active in the transfer portal this offseason.

While the loss to James Madison made the 2023-24 season a disappointment, the team will enter 2024-25 with a ton of potential and sky-high expectations.

As the offseason continues and the class of 2024 arrives on campus, here’s a look at where Gard’s classes of 2024 and 2025 currently rank on 247Sports.com:

2024: Two commits (top-ranked PG Freitag, three-star shooting guard Jack Robinson), No. 57 overall
2025: One commit (three-star SG Zach Kinziger), No. 12 overall

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Wisconsin returns to AP Top 25 in final edition ahead of March Madness

Wisconsin returns to AP Top 25 ahead of March Madness

Wisconsin basketball is back in the AP Top 25 with March Madness set to begin later this week.

The Badgers check in at No. 23 in the latest edition of the poll after not even receiving votes in last week’s edition.

The big moves comes on the heels of a 3-1 week at the Big Ten Tournament. Greg Gard’s team blew out top-70 Maryland team, comfortably defeated Northwestern even without point guard Chucky Hepburn, upset top-ranked Purdue and finally fell to a red-hot Illinois team.

Wisconsin is one of three Big Ten teams included in the poll along with Purdue at No. 3 and Illinois at No. 10.

The week 20 AP Poll heading into THE MADNESS! 🤯 🤩 pic.twitter.com/PxICn7LbsZ

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 18, 2024

The Badgers start their NCAA Tournament quest Friday night in Brooklyn, New York against No. 12-seed James Madison.

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 fails to receive votes in latest AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls

Wisconsin basketball failed to receive votes in the latest editions of both the AP Poll and USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

The team is off a 1-1 week which saw a comfortable home victory against Rutgers and a narrow road defeat at the hands of top-ranked Purdue. The regular season-ending frame put the Badgers record at 19-12 overall and 11-9 in Big Ten play — marks good enough for an NCAA Tournament birth but not good enough for inclusion in either top 25.

Today was the final edition of each poll before most postseason tournaments begin. Next week will be the final polls before the start of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin is scheduled to play its first Big Ten Tournament contest Thursday afternoon against the winner of Rutgers and Maryland. Wins would mean more matchups for Greg Gard’s team, something it may need to improve its standing before Selection Sunday.

NEW: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/x0juiASX9l pic.twitter.com/ykYlign9iT

— On3 (@On3sports) March 11, 2024

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Wisconsin’s class of 2025 rises in national ranking after latest addition

Luke Fickell’s 2025 class continues to rise:

Wisconsin football received a commitment from class of 2025 defensive lineman Torin Pettaway Thursday afternoon.

The commitment is the program’s ninth in the class of 2025, a strong start to a cycle that is critical to the continued success of the Luke Fickell era.

The addition of Pettaway brings Wisconsin’s 2025 group up to No. 8 nationally on 247Sports, but still No. 3 in the new Big Ten. The Badgers are ranked behind only Notre Dame, Clemson, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State and Auburn.

It’s early in the process, and Wisconsin is currently without a blue-chip recruit in the class. But the foundation is being built early for a group that Badgers fans hope will best the program’s No. 25-ranked class of 2024.

#JumpAroundMadTown25 pic.twitter.com/RUbSCSWQ33

— Luke Fickell (@CoachFick) March 7, 2024

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Luke Fickell finished the 2024 cycle with Wisconsin’s highest-rated recruiting class in history

Thoughts on Luke Fickell’s first full recruiting cycle as head coach?

Luke Fickell’s class of 2024, his first full recruiting class as head coach at Wisconsin, can be labeled a resounding success.

Time will ultimately tell how each signee in the group performs, and whether that occurs in Madison or elsewhere. But now that the 2024 cycle has officially concluded, we can officially give props to Fickell’s effort.

Wisconsin’s class finished ranked No. 25 in the nation with 22 total signees. It also slotted as the No. 7-ranked class in the new Big Ten, behind Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, USC and Nebraska in that order. Notably, it was the program’s first time ever boasting a blue chip ratio of 50%.

It is headlined by four-star OT Kevin Haywood (No. 50 overall, 96 rating), four-star DL Ernest Willor Jr. (No. 120 overall, 94 rating), four-star RB Dilin Jones (No. 139 overall, 94 rating) and four-star DL Dillan Johnson (No. 161 overall, 93 rating).

An account on X recently compared Fickell’s class to what the Badgers have done in the past. The findings: the class boasts the highest average recruit ranking in program history.

Luke Fickell secured the Badgers best recruiting class EVER in 2024 by AVG Recruit Ranking, the class beat out the 2021 class by .02 points and was 2.01 points higher than the 2023 class. Wisconsin was able to bring in 11 four star recruits including OT Kevin Heywood and RB Dilin… pic.twitter.com/u6Wv4d6j8j

— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) March 6, 2024

I’m a big believer in average recruit ranking telling a better story than total composite score. 10 five-star recruits would be a better class than 40 three-stars, but that’s not what the numbers necessarily show.

Semantics aside, Fickell should be praised for his recruiting efforts this cycle as he works to install his program on both sides of the football.

The future of Wisconsin in the new Big Ten is very much unknown. What is known: the Badgers must recruit at this level and higher for the program to join the conference’s elites.

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Wisconsin remains on outside of both AP and USA TODAY Coaches Polls

What do you expect from Wisconsin basketball in March?

Wisconsin basketball remains on the outside looking in on the latest edition of both the AP Poll and USA TODAY Coaches Poll.

The ranking is no surprise. The Badgers are off a 0-2 week which saw an inexplicable road loss to Indiana and a demoralizing home defeat to No. 12 Illinois.

Greg Gard’s team is now 18-11 overall and 10-8 in Big Ten play, down significantly from the 16-4 (8-1 Big Ten) marks entering February. That’s what a streak of losing seven of nine will do, especially in a sport as volatile as college basketball.

The Badgers have faced one of the nation’s toughest schedules. But that isn’t an excuse for the steep regression in the last five weeks.

NEW: College Basketball AP Poll🏀https://t.co/gbYtZtfLlB pic.twitter.com/RIa3o3uhAp

— On3 (@On3sports) March 4, 2024

Wisconsin returns to the court Thursday night at the Kohl Center against 15-14 (7-11 Big Ten) Rutgers. The Badgers will look for revenge after suffering a blowout loss to the Scarlet Knights, a loss which was a big part of their big losing skid.

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Where Wisconsin’s class of 2025 stands after its latest commitment

What should be considered a success for Luke Fickell’s second full recruiting class?

Wisconsin landed a commitment from class of 2025 linebacker Samuel Lateju Monday afternoon. The commitment is the program’s eighth in the class, and first since the end of January.

Luke Fickell’s group now ranks No. 9 in the nation, and No. 3 in the new Big Ten behind Ohio State and Penn State.

Of note, the class is currently without a blue-chip recruit — that after Fickell’s 2024 class finished with a blue-chip ratio of 50%. Wisconsin’s current top-10 ranking is due more to volume than top-end quality, though months remain before the cycle comes to a close.

The 2025 cycle is a critical one for Fickell and his coaching staff.

First, Wisconsin experienced turnover on its coaching staff throughout the offseason. Fickell’s new hires must continue 2024’s recruiting success without a hitch.

Second, Fickell’s vision for the program will only succeed with improved talent. The Badgers’ place in the new Big Ten is currently unknown, especially as new members join and divisions are eliminated. The correlation between recruiting success and on-field results has never been higher for this program.

The 2025 cycle must continue 2024’s success for Wisconsin’s standing in the conference to rise.

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Wisconsin football class of 2025 commitment tracker

Your up-to-date tracker for Wisconsin’s class of 2025:

As things stand today (March 7, 2024) the Wisconsin Badgers now have nine players committed to their class of 2025.

The class currently ranks No. 8 in the nation and No. 3 in the new Big Ten, though is yet to receive a commitment from a blue-chip recruit.

The recruiting cycle is a critical one for head coach Luke Fickell as he continues to try to shape Wisconsin into his program. His 2024 class was a success, finishing No. 25 in the nation with a blue chip ratio of 50%. Now that success must be carried into future classes as the roster gets built.

As that process continues, here is a tracker for all of Wisconsin’s commits in the class of 2025, updated each time a recruit is added: