Wisconsin is fresh off a forgettable week, arguably the worst of its 2023-24 season thus far. The Badgers first squandered a 19-point lead on the road at Nebraska on Thursday, before returning home and narrowly losing to No. 2 Purdue.
The losses drop the Badgers (16-6, 8-3 Big Ten) into a tie for second with Illinois, 1 1/2 games behind first-place Purdue.
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The performances also had the Badgers slide in KenPom’s rankings. The team moved from No. 11 to No. 13 and now has the No. 9 offense and No. 33 defense.
Greg Gard’s team remains the third-highest-ranked team in the Big Ten, but is now further behind Illinois at No. 10 and Purdue at No. 2.
The season is far from over, especially with another matchup with Purdue in early March. But Wisconsin must return to its winning ways starting Wednesday at Michigan if it wants to keep pace in the Big Ten.