Wisconsin basketball (22-7, 12-6 Big Ten) fell to No. 14 in the latest NCAA NET Rankings following its loss to Michigan State (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten) on Sunday.
Despite connecting on just five of their 32 looks from downtown, the Badgers remained afloat for virtually the entire contest. That is, until the final stretch. From the 5:15-minute mark on, the Spartans outscored UW 13-5 and forced several timely turnovers to take full control of the contest.
Sophomore center Nolan Winter dropped 12 points and secured 17 rebounds in the outing, followed by 16 points and six rebounds from guard John Blackwell and 11 points and six boards from John Tonje. In addition to the shooting woes, the Badgers received just 10 points from their bench, compared to 28 from five MSU bench contributors.
While disappointing, the loss did not heavily impact where the Badgers stand in several national hierarchies. The team dropped one spot to No. 12 in the AP Poll, plus ranks No. 10 in both KenPom and Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology. Michigan State’s status at the Big Ten’s premier team did not seem to shift how voters view the Badgers in the grand scheme of the 2024-25 season.
The NCAA’s NET, however, viewed Wisconsin’s loss slightly differently. With the defeat, Greg Gard’s squad dropped to the third-highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind the aforementioned Spartans, who sit at No. 11, and the No. 12-ranked Maryland Terrapins. As of March 3, both programs had leapfrogged the Badgers.
Of note, Wisconsin is 6-6 in Quad 1 games and a combined 16-1 vs. Quad 2, 3 and 4 opponents. MSU boasts a 10-3 mark in Quad 1 matches, Maryland posts a 6-6 mark and Michigan, the Big Ten’s No. 2-ranked team, holds an 8-4 record against the top opponents.
If Lunardi’s NCAA Tournament projection rings true, Wisconsin will enter as a No. 3 seed. It’s record against teams with that type of resume suggests the Badgers will likely emerge victorious. While Wisconsin has done everything it has needed to against subpar programs, its 6-6 mark is where those invested in the team should focus ahead of the Big Dance.
Outside of Dec. 7 against Marquette, all of Wisconsin’s Quad 1 games have been close. In March, who knows how those games, all played at a neutral site, will conclude.
Wisconsin returns to the court on Wednesday night at Minnesota. It then closes its regular season against Penn State, before the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament brackets are finalized.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Basketball NCAA NET Ranking Update Michigan State
