The first AP Top 25 is here with college basketball season somehow only three weeks away. It’s a year where Wisconsin basketball has real expectations, with the arrival of St. John’s transfer AJ Storr and the return of Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, Connor Essegian, Max Klesmit and a core that is ready to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
Despite the expectations, Wisconsin was not among the three Big Ten teams listed in the initial rankings.
Michigan State and Purdue led the way in the Big Ten, with the Boilers at No. 3 and the Spartans at No. 4, while Illinois rounded out the list at No. 25. It’s safe to say Wisconsin is right on the cusp, as they were the top team listed as receiving notes making them the de facto No. 26 overall team. Here is the complete list:
AP Top 25, per release:
1. Kansas
2. Duke
3. MSU
4. Purdue
5. Marquette
6. UConn
7. Houston
8. Creighton
9. Tennessee
10. FAU
11. Gonzaga
12. Arizona
13. Miami
14. Arkansas
15. A&M
16. UK
17. SDSU
18. Texas
19. UNC
20. Baylor
21. USC
22. Nova
23. SMC
24. Alabama
25. Illinois— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 16, 2023