Wisconsin basketball (11-3, 1-2 Big Ten) remains outside the top 25 of the USA TODAY Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. The latest edition was released on Jan. 6, three days after the Badgers’ statement win over Iowa.
Wisconsin was in the receiving votes category, tallying just three voting points. That total has the team tied for 36th most votes.
Related: Big Ten basketball power rankings (Jan. 6): Illinois, Indiana surge in first week of 2025
The Badgers are winners of three straight after an early-December losing streak to Michigan, Illinois and Marquette. The last game was a record-breaking 116-85 victory over a strong Iowa team. That stretch of strong performances has the team up to No. 26 in KenPom, though it wasn’t enough to approach the coaches’ top 25.
Wisconsin played just one game from Dec. 14 to Jan. 3, which could be a reason for the lack of consideration. Fast-rising Memphis (No. 20), West Virginia (No. 23) and Utah State (No. 25) all have multiple notable results in the last few weeks. The Badgers will need a run of Big Ten wins in short order to reenter the ranking.
Tennessee leads the latest coaches poll after improving to 14-0. The Volunteers are followed by Auburn (13-1), Iowa State (12-1), Duke (12-2) and Alabama (12-2).
Big Ten teams in the top 25 are Michigan State (No. 14), Illinois (No. 15), Oregon (No. 17), Purdue (No. 19), UCLA (No. 21) and Michigan (No. 24). Maryland, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Indiana received votes.
Here is the coaches’ full top 25 as of Jan. 6:
| Ranking | Team | Record | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 14-0 | 765 (21) | – |
| 2 | Auburn | 13-1 | 749 (10) | – |
| 3 | Iowa State | 12-1 | 711 | – |
| 4 | Duke | 12-2 | 670 | – |
| 5 | Alabama | 12-2 | 651 | +1 |
| 6 | Marquette | 13-2 | 581 | +2 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 12-2 | 560 | +4 |
| 8 | Florida | 13-1 | 529 | -3 |
| 9 | Texas A&M | 12-2 | 488 | +3 |
| 10 | UConn | 12-3 | 461 | +3 |
| 11 | Houston | 10-3 | 454 | +3 |
| 12 | Kansas | 10-3 | 438 | -5 |
| 13 | Mississippi State | 13-1 | 372 | +3 |
| 14 | Michigan State | 12-2 | 350 | +1 |
| 15 | Illinois | 11-3 | 300 | +5 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 13-1 | 287 | -6 |
| 17 | Oregon | 13-2 | 284 | -8 |
| 18 | Gonzaga | 12-4 | 246 | +1 |
| 19 | Purdue | 11-4 | 228 | +3 |
| 20 | Memphis | 12-3 | 192 | +5 |
| 21 | UCLA | 11-3 | 147 | -3 |
| 22 | Ole Miss | 12-2 | 119 | +1 |
| 23 | West Virginia | 11-2 | 110 | +14 |
| 24 | Michigan | 11-3 | 98 | +5 |
| 25 | Utah State | 14-1 | 73 | +5 |
Wisconsin is back on the court on Monday night against Rutgers. While the Badgers are slight favorites in the contest, they must overcome their recent struggles at the Rutgers Athletic Center. Tip is set for 7 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. CT on Fox Sports 1.
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