Wisconsin has been one of the hottest teams in the country at the right time.
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The Wisconsin Badgers have been one of the hottest teams since the new year started, going 11-2 since the start of January with marquee wins over the Purdue Boilermakers and Illinois Fighting Illini over the last week.
That has led them to jump from unranked to the No. 11 team in the country in the latest AP Top 25 poll, which is the highest in the Big Ten, as the Badgers offense has been a top-10 unit in the country.
With five games left in the season, the biggest questions now come to where the Badgers will land in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Wisconsin is currently the No. 3 team in the Big Ten behind the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans, being 1.5 games out of first place.
They still have to play the Spartans, but arguably have the easiest remaining schedule in the top four of the Big Ten, with Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, and Penn State rounding out the rest of Wisconsin’s opponents.
That can be a good or bad thing, as Wisconsin has favorable matchups, but not many resume-boosters for the NCAA Tournament. So, will they end up as a No. 2 seed in March or could they potentially fall?
Wisconsin is currently projected as a No. 2 seed after their wins over Purdue and Illinois, as No. 7 Texas A&M and No.9 Texas Tech both lost this week. With five games left, it’s pretty clear that the biggest game remaining is their road matchup with Michigan State.
Wisconsin seems to be in a favorable spot with the committee already, being ranked as a No. 3 seed before their wins over Purdue and Illinois. So, a win over Michigan State should put them in a strong position to keep that No. 2 seed heading into March.
But, if they lose to the Spartans, there is a possibility that they drop back to the No. 3 line. Yes, it’ll be a road loss against a top-15 team, but a team like Texas A&M has the possibility to grow with opportunities against No. 6 Tennessee, No. 2 Florida, and No. 1 Auburn still on the docket.
However, the Badgers are in a good position to go at least 5-1 in their last six games, with their two biggest challenges being their home game against Oregon this weekend and the road contest versus Michigan State next weekend.
With a 5-1 or especially a 6-0 finish, Wisconsin should have a strong resume to be firmly in contention for that No. 2 seed in March, which would be a big boost in getting the team to their first Sweet Sixteen in seven years.