Wisconsin is riding a four game win-streak with one of those wins being against the top NET team in the Michigan Wolverines. While their most recent win over Rutgers isn't overly impressive and wouldn't be enough to wow the AP voters on its own, other AP math may force the voters to include the Badgers in the top 25.
Let's start with the fact that Wisconsin was just outside of the top 25 last week, receiving 37 votes. The Badgers weren't the top vote getter on the outside looking in, nor were they second or third. Wisconsin was sixth in line. Yet, the fact that they were close keeps this conversation open.
Wisconsin has some AP Top 25 math that could include them in the rankings this week
Related: Rutgers revealed the problem and the solution with Wisconsin basketball
The second important factor that may force the hands of AP voters is what happened in the top 25 this week. On Saturday alone, No. 23 Utah State, No. 24 Tennessee, and No. 25 Seton Hall all lost. That will certainly create three openings in the rankings for teams just on the outside last week.
Now, before we jump into the line waiting to get in, AP voters don't often care that much about the order of votes last week. Some AP voters may change things week to week just cause they can. So, while there were six teams in front of Wisconsin, some could drop behind the Badgers even without a loss, and other teams behind Wisconsin could jump ahead of them.
However, for the sake of this article, let's assume it's a straight line into the rankings. Three teams fall out from the bottom. The next three in line (based on votes from last week) are Saint Louis, Kansas, and Iowa. Saint Louis is on an 11-game win streak, Kansas lost again and have now lost four in a row, and Iowa went 1-1 this week.
The Wisconsin Badgers are next in line for a Top 25 rankings
Which ideally, only Saint Louis would take one of the three spots that opened. So, we go to the next two in line: Miami (OH) and Villanova. The Redhawks are one of the only unbeaten teams left, and they pulled off an overtime thriller against Buffalo to keep that streak alive. That leaves Villanova with the chance to take that final spot, yet they lost to St. John's this week.
Which, if you are keeping track, leaves Wisconsin as the next in line (if it actually worked that way). The Badgers could realistically be ranked. No. 25 this week, if the AP voters stick to the script they laid out last week.
If you are curious, the two teams behind Wisconsin in votes, Miami and Texas A&M, both also had losses this week.