The Wisconsin Badgers had quite the offseason, as they dealt with some major departures and had to retool in the transfer portal.
Losing John Blackwell, Nick Boyd, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Andrew Rohde, and Braeden Carrington, the Badgers needed to fill a couple of holes in their starting lineup, while also adding a bit to their bench. Wisconsin first went out to the international world and got Australian point guard Owen Foxwell, who carries significant NBL experience with him to Madison.
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Then, after a quiet first week in the transfer portal, Wisconsin went out and got George Washington guard Trey Autry, Miami (OH) wing Eian Elmer, and Hofstra center Victory Onuetu to round out their rotation. Autry and Elmer project as starters alongside Foxwell, Austin Rapp, and Nolan Winter, while Onuetu provides good rim-protection and shot blocking off the bench with fellow center Will Garlock.
Over the past three years, regardless of the roster, we’ve seen the Badgers have some strong seasons, receiving a No. 5 seed twice and No. 3 seed once in the NCAA Tournament. They’ve also been ranked in the Top 20 in all three years, reaching as high as No. 6 back in 2023-24, but have generally been a team that hovers around the Top 25.
The Badgers ended the season as the No. 25 team in the final AP Poll last year following their first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament. Now, where are they sitting in the way-too-early power rankings ahead of the 2026-27 season?
Well, it’s not in the Top 25.
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ESPN’s Jeff Borzello made his rankings earlier this week, and Wisconsin wasn’t one of the 25 teams listed. Florida, Duke, Michigan, Illinois, and UConn made up the Top 5 and are among the top title contenders for next year. Duke, of course, will be led by John Blackwell, who transferred there this offseason after going through the pre-draft process once again.
Other Big Ten teams in the Top 25 include Michigan State (No. 8), USC (No. 12), and Nebraska (No. 22). Interestingly enough, there are only six Big Ten teams in the Top 25, with the list notably not including schools like Purdue, UCLA, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa.
Borzello did have Purdue (No. 26), Indiana (No. 28), and UCLA (No. 29) as a part of his next five out. But the Badgers were still nowhere to be seen there.
Should Wisconsin be ranked inside the Top 25? Top 30? Let us know in the comments below.
