A game-by-game prediction of Wisconsin basketball's difficult non-conference slate

Recently, the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team announced its official non-conference slate ahead of the 2026-27 season, leaving no better time than now to preview the action ahead. Obviously, with the new injunction being granted in which hundreds of players were given the possibility of another year of school, the rosters Wisconsin is set to face could look very different shortly.

With that said, the Badgers, for the most part, should know what's ahead of them. It's of course impossible to predict how every roster in front of them will blend together until we see it, but for now, let's lay down some realistic predictions.

Early season Tune Ups: 7-0

Wisconsin should start with an easy four wins to kick off the season. The Badgers will invite Denver, Delaware, Fairfield and Coastal Carolina onto their home court, none of whom are projected to even be a top-200 team heading into next season, per BartTorvik.

After that, however, things heat up a bit. Wisconsin will pack its bags and head down to the Bahamas, taking on either Seton Hall or NC State — both of whom could prove to be challenging. Last season, the Badgers were evidently better than both schools, but after an offseason of reloading talent, both the Wolfpack and the Pirates could give Wisconsin some issues.

With that said, if Wisconsin is who it has been over the last couple of years, it should be two victories for the Badgers as they both have the continuity and talent to get it done. This is not to say either game will be easy, in fact, far from it, just that Wisconsin should expect to take care of business.

That pair of hopeful wins on top of what should be Wisconsin's easiest game of the year, welcoming in Northeastern, puts the Badgers at 7-0 to open the season. This, however, is a clear turning point in their schedule, as it is hard to imagine Wisconsin not dropping at least one game over its next three.

Ramping things Up: 3-2

Following the Northeastern game, the Badgers will head east and face a reloaded and immensely talented Marquette team that, on paper, easily trumps the talent Wisconsin has brought in. Nigel James Jr. and Nolan Minessale make up one of the best duos in all of college basketball, while Adrien Stevens and Sananda Fru provide insulation behind them.

The Golden Eagles' bench is a bit of an uncertainty — much like Wisconsin's — as they will likely have to rely on multiple freshmen to get the job done for them. With that said, the talent margin at the top of the rosters will likely be too much, handing the Badgers their first loss of the year.

Wisconsin then stays on the road to take on a less talented, yet still potent, Villanova team, who too could give the Badgers issues. With that said, Wisconsin will be hungry for a win following its first loss of the year to an in-state rival, along with the Badgers just being the better team, handing them a bounce-back win.

Wisconsin will then get its last true test of nonconference play, taking on the Auburn Tigers in Nashville. This game should be a lot closer in comparison to Marquette, but on paper the Tigers should be able to get this one done and hand the Badgers their second loss.

Wisconsin then closes out the nonconference slate with two very winnable games against Purdue Fort Wayne and Colorado State. The Rams could give the Badgers some trouble as guys like Carey Booth and Justin Menard are not to be glanced over. But once again, talent should prevail, giving Wisconsin a good win to head into conference play with.

All in all, the Badgers should enter conference play with a record around 10-2, with a little wiggle room surrounding some of those toss-up games. Nonetheless, this slate gives Wisconsin a good chance to build some momentum with a couple of "easy" wins, along with testing itself against some of the best teams in the country.

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