Badger Basketball Continues to Climb the Ranks in Latest AP Poll

After winning the Greenbriar Tip-Off tournament on Sunday night, and improving to a 7-0 recrod on the season, Wisconsin basketball has jumped up all the way up to the number 15 spot in the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

It's a fast and surprising start for a Badger team that most people had in the bottom half of the Big Ten this preseason. Wisconsin started the year unranked, but moved up to 19th last week after a big win over Arizona. Now, they climb even further and sit just behind two fellow Big Ten teams in Purdue and Indiana.

One big reason for their dominating start has been transfer John Tonje. He joined the Badgers this offseason after sitting out most of last year with Missouri due to an injury. Through the first seven games, he's averaged 23 points per game, shot 95% from the free-throw line, and is a legitimate player of the year candidate. Combined with the emergence of guards John Blackwell and Kamari McGee, and the Badgers are on their way to shattering last seasons 22-14 record.

Wisconsin will take on Chicago State this Saturday before their first conference game of the season against the Michigan Wolverines.