Tag: Standings

Wisconsin basketball is no longer one of the best teams in the Big Ten

Thoughts on the last few weeks of Wisconsin basketball?

The Wisconsin Badgers fell at the overtime buzzer to the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday in Iowa City.

The loss was the Badgers’ fifth in their last six tries and dropped the team to 17-9 on the season and 9-6 in Big Ten play. In 18 days, Wisconsin has dropped from the clear conference leader to tied with Michigan State for third, 3 1/2 games behind first-place Purdue.

The standings tell the story. The Badgers are in the midst of an incredible collapse.

ESPN BPI and KenPom’s ratings also tell the story effectively. Each has Wisconsin as the distant fourth-best team in the conference.

  • KenPom: Purdue (No. 3 overall), Illinois (No. 8), Michigan State (No. 15), Wisconsin (No. 19)
  • ESPN BPI: Purdue (No. 2 overall), Illinois (No. 10), Michigan State (No. 16), Wisconsin (No. 20)

Remember, Wisconsin was alone at No. 2 in the conference behind Purdue entering the month of February.

Not only have the Badgers dropped from a top seed in NCAA Tournament projections to clinging to a 4-seed, the team is falling further and further from the top of the Big Ten.

Time still allows for Wisconsin to turn it around and return to its early season form. Up next is a home game against Maryland (14-12) before a finishing at Indiana, home against Illinois, home against Rutgers and at Purdue.

The Badgers need to turn things around before it’s too late.

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How to watch Wisconsin basketball vs Iowa Hawkeyes

How to watch Wisconsin basketball vs Iowa Hawkeyes

The Wisconsin Badgers (17-8, 9-5 Big Ten) travel to Carver-Hawkeye Arena Saturday afternoon to face the 14-11 (6-8 Big Ten) Iowa Hawkeyes.

Wisconsin is fresh off a decisive win over Ohio State, ending the team’s four-game losing streak that dated back to January 26.

Iowa, meanwhile, has traded wins and losses since these two teams last met on January 2. Wisconsin won that meeting 83-72, and Iowa is a pedestrian 6-5 in its 11 contests since that date.

Wisconsin may be all but eliminated from the Big Ten Conference race, currently sitting 2.5 games behind first-place Purdue. But the Badgers still have an NCAA Tournament birth to lock up, plus a chance at a top-3 seed if the team plays well down the stretch.

The Badgers’ quest for a second straight victory comes tomorrow afternoon in Iowa City:

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024
  • Time: 2:15 p.m. ET, 1:15 p.m. CT
  • TV Channel: Big Ten Network

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Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after its win over Ohio State

Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after win over Ohio State

Wisconsin basketball put the train back on the tracks earlier this week with a decisive home victory over Ohio State.

The Badgers are 17-8 on the season and 9-5 in Big Ten play, a half game behind Illinois and 2 1/2 games behind first-place Purdue.

The Ohio State win stabilized the season — for the moment. Greg Gard’s team had lost its previous four games, including road losses to last-place Michigan and a below-average Rutgers team.

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Now, although the Big Ten race is close to over, Wisconsin is pointed in the right direction with NCAA Tournament seeding still up in the air.

ESPN basketball power index forecasts the rest of the Badgers’ season before postseason play begins. Here are the odds for each game, plus Wisconsin’s final projected win total:

Vegas win totals released for Wisconsin, every Big Ten team in 2024 football season

Surprised by Wisconsin’s 2024 win total?

Only 194 days separate us from the start of the 2024 college football season.

The year brings some continuity for the Wisconsin Badgers. Both head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Phil Longo are back for a second year leading the program. There are some differences for the Badgers, none bigger than Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke starting under center.

The year brings a combination of promise for the Badgers paired with a brutal schedule.

For the Big Ten as a whole, there are significant changes. USC, UCLA Oregon and Washington enter a conference structure that no longer includes divisions. The interest in the conference should rise, along with the competition level for schools such as Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska.

We have already power-ranked every program in the Big Ten Conference and predicted the win-loss record of each team in 2024.

Here are FanDuel Sportsbook‘s newly released win totals for every Big Ten team entering 2024:

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Wisconsin basketball is quickly sliding down KenPom’s ratings

Wisconsin basketball is in the midst of quite the collapse

Wisconsin basketball lost its fourth-straight game yesterday, this one a 78-56 blowout loss to a 12-10 Rutgers team.

The Badgers were never truly competitive. Rutgers’ pressure had Greg Gard’s team out of whack from the opening tip, and the Badgers never seemed to match the Scarlet Knights’ intensity and effort. Pair all of that with some Rutgers hot shooting in the second half, and Wisconsin gets blown out by a team that was 4-7 in Big Ten play.

It is the continuation of a gigantic slide. Wisconsin was ranked No. 6 in the nation with a 16-4 record and an 8-1 mark in Big Ten play entering the month of February. Now 11 days later, the Badgers have dropped to 16-8 (8-5 Big Ten) and have been all but eliminated from the conference race.

Related: Where Wisconsin Badgers stand in first expanded Big Ten 2024 recruiting rankings

One place the slide is also seen is KenPom’s ratings. The Badgers were hovering around the top 10 for weeks — propped up by one of the five best offenses in the nation.

Now, Wisconsin is down to No. 18 in the rating system with the No. 12-ranked offense and No. 40-ranked defense. The Badgers also fell to the No. 4 team in the Big Ten, now behind No. 2 Purdue, No. 11 Illinois and No. 16 Michigan State.

Seven games remain on the regular season schedule. This feels like a crossroad for this team — where the group either goes on a run entering March, or collapses entirely and risks missing the NCAA Tournament.

Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after its loss to Michigan

Updated game-by-game predictions for Wisconsin basketball after its loss to Michigan

Wisconsin basketball is in the middle of a lengthy slump.

The team entered February riding high, sitting at 16-4 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play. Since then, the Badgers are 0-3 with a blown a 19-point lead on the road at Nebraska, a tight loss to No. 2 Purdue and a back-breaking loss on the road to Michigan.

Greg Gard’s team is now 16-7 (8-4 Big Ten), sits two games behind Purdue for first place in the conference and falling to a 3-seed in most bracket projections.

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

To say a win on the road at Rutgers tomorrow is necessary would be a gigantic understatement.

ESPN Basketball Power Index forecasts that matchup, plus the rest on the Badgers schedule before postseason play begins. Here are the odds for each game, plus Wisconsin’s final projected win total:

How to watch Wisconsin basketball at Rutgers

How to watch Wisconsin basketball at Rutgers

Wisconsin looks to pick itself off the mat Saturday afternoon when it visits the 12-10 (4-7 Big Ten) Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

The Badgers are in the midst of their worst stretch of the season. First, last week was bookmarked by a crushing road loss at Nebraska and a tight home loss to No. 2 Purdue. Then, Wednesday at Michigan then became a near must-win — Michigan entering as the worst team in the conference and Wisconsin desperately needing to end the losing skid. Well, Wisconsin lost 72-68.

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

The Badgers are now 16-7 on the season and 8-4 in Big Ten play. Both are solid marks, but neither mark looks good given their 16-4 (8-1 Big Ten) record just 10 days ago.

Wisconsin now enters Saturday needing to snap a three-game losing streak, and it travels to Jersey Mike’s Arena to do so — one of the toughest places to play in the country.

Here is how to watch Wisconsin’s pivotal game at Rutgers:

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024
  • Time: Noon ET, 11 a.m. CT
  • TV Channel: Big Ten Network

Wisconsin basketball has fallen far in just one week

Wisconsin is in the midst of a gigantic slide

Wisconsin basketball was riding high entering the month of February. Greg Gard’s team was 16-4 overall and 8-1 in Big Ten play. It was in first place in the conference standings. It had won nine of its last 10, and it was ranked sixth in the AP Poll.

Then came a forgettable stretch of basketball. The Badgers blew 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.

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

So, just seven days into February, the Badgers have lost three pivotal Big Ten games, fallen to a distant third place in the conference standings, dropped from a 2-seed in projected brackets to a low 3-seed and dropped from No. 6 in the AP Poll to No. 11 (and will drop further when next week’s edition drops).

It initially looked like Wisconsin’s season-ending game at Purdue might decide the Big Ten Conference race. Now, it feels like those stakes would be a massive surprise.

Plus, the team is in real danger of losing a fourth straight in a tough road matchup at Rutgers on Saturday.

This drop from the top of the conference is tough to see, given the promise of this year’s team and how it seemed to be playing its best basketball just over one week ago.

However, the opportunity for a run remains with eight conference games remaining. A Big Ten title may be out of the equation, but the Badgers can still develop momentum entering an NCAA Tournament in which the fan base will demand results.

Wisconsin social media reacts to Badgers’ crushing loss to last-place Michigan

Thoughts on the loss to Michigan?

Wisconsin fans are not happy after this one.

The Badgers dropped their third straight game, this one 72-68 on the road at Michigan — arguably the worst team in the Big Ten. Wisconsin in the last week has lost at Nebraska, at home against Purdue and now at Michigan. The team has gone from alone in first place in the conference to a distant third and down to a 3-seed in most bracketologies.

Related: Way-too-early record predictions for every Big Ten football team in 2024

The loss drops Wisconsin to 16-7 on the season and 8-4 in the Big Ten. The team entered last week ranked No. 6 in the nation. It’s No. 11 this week, but that is likely to drop further.

Even worse news: The schedule doesn’t get easier on Saturday afternoon. Wisconsin will travel to Rutgers, a place that is notoriously tough to play.

It’s safe to say Wisconsin social media was unhappy after the latest loss, especially given the events of the last week and Michigan’s 7-15 record entering the contest.

Wisconsin basketball falls in latest USA TODAY bracketology

Where Wisconsin basketball falls in latest USA TODAY bracketology

The Wisconsin Badgers fell to a 3-seed in USA TODAY’s latest bracketology.

The Badgers were a 2-seed for the last month before the team lost a heartbreaker on the road at Nebraska and dropped a tight one at home against No. 2 Purdue last week.

Now the program is down five spots to No. 11 in the AP Poll, is 1 1/2 games behind first-place Purdue in the Big Ten and is off the 2-line in all bracket projections.

Related: Wisconsin social media irate after the Badgers’ narrow loss to No. 2 Purdue — Takeaways from Wisconsin’s deflating loss to No. 2 Purdue

The good news: There is ample time for improvement — and the schedule allows the team to do so. Wisconsin meets Michigan on Wednesday. It can right the ship before a tough road matchup at Rutgers on Saturday.