The Wisconsin Badgers enter the 2025-26 college basketball season ranked No. 24 in the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll.
Wisconsin is one of six Big Ten teams in the hierarchy, following No. 1 Purdue, No. 7 Michigan, No. 12 UCLA, No. 14 Illinois and No. 21 Michigan State. Close behind, Oregon, Ohio State, USC, Washington and Iowa were also receiving votes.
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As a reference, Greg Gard’s team sits No. 20 in KenPom and No. 19 in ESPN’s Basketball Power Index. The metrics and ranking systems, while not exact in their projections, all agree that the Badgers appear set for a strong season.
Wisconsin had several moving parts entering the year. All-American wing John Tonje departed for the NBA, along with a loaded senior class that also included starters Steven Crowl and Max Klesmit, and top bench contributors Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore. John Blackwell and Nolan Winter are now back to anchor the team’s starting lineup, with a stellar transfer class, headlined by former San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, former Virginia wing Andrew Rohde and former Portland forward Austin Rapp, set to act as primary complements.
The 2025-26 Badgers may look different than the team that went 27-10 a season ago and contended for the Big Ten title. However, the unit appears just as strong.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball USA TODAY Sports preseason coaches poll ranking
