Where Wisconsin basketball is projected in USA TODAY’s Big Ten preseason poll
A poll of USA TODAY Network reporters who cover Big Ten schools projected Greg Gard’s Badgers to finish 11th in the conference in 2026-27.
In an upcoming USA TODAY Network preseason media poll, Wisconsin's men's basketball team is expected to finish eleventh in the Big Ten conference for the 2026-27 season. This projection is similar to the Badgers' anticipated position in the Columbus Dispatch media poll, marking a significant shift from the previous 2025-26 season when Wisconsin was expected to finish sixth in the conference.
However, the 2025-26 season proved to be a notable outlier, as the Badgers outperformed expectations, securing a fifth-place finish and advancing to the Big Ten tournament semifinals.
Nolan Winter, a key player for Wisconsin, was recognized for his outstanding performance by being named to USA TODAY’s all-Big Ten first team and the Big Ten’s official 11-player all-conference preseason team. Winter's impressive sophomore season included 12 double-doubles, 13.1 points per game, and 8.5 rebounds per game, leading the Badgers in rebounds and ranking fourth in the Big Ten. Despite these accolades, Winter did not earn a spot on any of the Big Ten's all-conference teams following the 2025-26 season.
The 2026-27 Wisconsin team will feature eight new players alongside returning contributors such as Austin Rapp and Jack Janicki. Braeden Carrington could potentially return, contingent on the resolution of his lawsuit against the NCAA. The season will kick off with an exhibition game against UW-Parkside on October 10, followed by the regular season opener against Denver on November 2.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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