Wisconsin basketball landed at No. 11 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll on Monday.
After being ranked No. 15 in the poll’s Week 5 installation, Wisconsin earned 903 points in this week’s update to claim the No. 11 spot in the hierarchy. UConn, which held the No. 2 position, and Houston, which boasted the No. 6 spot in Week 4, each fell out of the top 10 to elevate the Badgers.
Purdue (No. 8) is the only Big Ten squad ranked higher than Wisconsin on this week’s list. Oregon (No. 12) and Illinois (No. 23) are the two other Big Ten teams to make the top 25.
For context, UW received 666 points in Week 4 after securing wins over UT Rio Grande Valley, UCF and Pittsburgh from Nov. 18-24. Wisconsin’s Greenbrier Tip-Off-clinching win over Pitt, a team now ranked No. 18 in the poll, and 103-88 win over Arizona appear to hold some extra weight for voters.
Plenty left to prove. 📈📈📈📈#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/DQzyrF7ZfH
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 2, 2024
Meltdowns from other squads also help the Badgers’ case. The Indiana Hoosiers dropped two straight to Louisville and No. 7 Gonzaga to drop out of the rankings, No. 20 North Carolina lost to both No. 2 Auburn and Michigan State, and No. 17 Houston lost to No. 10 Alabama and Notre Dame.
Wisconsin sensation John Tonje deserves a bulk of the credit for Wisconsin’s scorching start. The 6-foot-5 wing is averaging 22.9 points per game off 52.7% from the floor, over 42% from deep and nearly 95% from the charity stripe.
As a team, UW is averaging nearly 85.3 points per game off 46.8% from the field, 35.9% from beyond the arc and a blistering 86.4% from the free throw line.
Wisconsin’s next game is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT vs. Michigan at the Kohl Center. The Badgers will then travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to face rival Marquette, the current No. 5-ranked team in the sport.