For the first time this season, the Men’s Wisconsin basketball team has cracked the top 25 of the AP Poll. Their debut is at No. 23, two days after defeating No. 3 Marquette Golden Eagles.
Bucky checks in at No. 23 📈 pic.twitter.com/sTxOSwDd4N
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 4, 2023
The win for the Badgers gives them three straight seasons with a victory over the other in-state rival. It’s the first time since the 1998-2001 seasons that either team has won in three straight seasons when the Badgers won four straight times in the rivalry.
Wisconsin Badgers and the Road to the Top 25
Badgers basketball has started the season strong and is earning recognition after defeating the Marquette Golden Eagles. Along the way to their 7-2 record so far, they defeated two ranked opponents in Virginia and the aforementioned Golden Eagles. They did drop games to No. 9 Tennessee and Providence, slowing their upward trajectory.
The Field Around Wisconsin Basketball
Their win over Marquette dropped them from No. 3 to No. 8 in the rankings. However, they weren’t the biggest losers this week regarding the AP Poll. That distinction belongs to the No. 22 ranked Duke. Duke has had an up-and-down season so far, sitting at 5-3 with two of their three losses coming against unranked teams and they dropped their 3rd loss against now No. 1 Arizona.
Tennessee and University of Miami both dropped seven spaces respectively to No. 15 and No. 17 as they look to head the other direction moving into next week.
Clemson and San Diego State joined Wisconsin basketball in the rankings this week after being unranked last week. Clemson is No. 24 and hasn’t lost a game this season, and San Diego State snuck in at No. 25 with a 7-1 record.
The biggest gains this week belong to North Carolina with a jump of eight up to No. 9. They’re 7-1 after defeating Tennesee to drop them seven slots down to No. 17. Colorado State jumped seven spaces up to No. 13 after starting the season off 8-0.
The Top 5 slots belong to Arizona, Kansas, Houston, Purdue, and UConn. Houston is the newest entrant to the top 5 after starting the season at No. 7.
Bucky checks in at No. 23 📈 pic.twitter.com/sTxOSwDd4N
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 4, 2023
Bucky checks in at No. 23 📈 pic.twitter.com/sTxOSwDd4N
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 4, 2023
