Where will Wisconsin land on the AP Top 25 poll? Andy Katz has UW the highest

Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA;  Wisconsin Badgers players react to a score during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers players react to a score during the second half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers had the best week in college basketball, knocking off not just one top-10 team but two. They are unranked now, but that's about to change. The question is, how high do they climb? Should they barely crack the list, or should they be up among the teams they just beat? Those are the questions the AP Top 25 voters will have to figure out, but other college basketball experts have weighed in.

Field of 68 has Wisconsin at No. 23

The Field of 68 crew found a spot at the end of the top-25 for Wisconsin and has them up at 23. If we are being realistic, that's probably about where they will land. Not that they don't deserve to be higher, but it's not likely to see a jump much further up than the bottom of the poll.

Casey Jacobsen of Fox Sports has Wisconsin at No. 21

Fox Sports puts them a tad higher and has them at 21. This is a slight boost and still within range where you can see the Badgers landing. It would be a surprise to see Wisconsin inside the top-20, even though Illinois and Michigan State will both be there (the teams that the Badgers just beat).

There is one college basketball expert that's daring enough to put them inside the top-20. Andy Katz.

Andy Katz has Wisconsin at No. 15

Katz gets the award for being daring enough to throw them not only inside the top-20 but inside the top-15. Katz puts the Badgers at No. 15 in his weekly Power 37 rankings. He probably felt forced to by Wisconsin's blowout victory over Michigan State. As he has the Spartans at No. 16, pushing Wisconsin in front of them because of the dominant win only made sense.

The Badgers won't find their name on the AP Top 25 poll that high, it's very unlikely, but you can see that the experts are having a hard time placing Wisconsin.

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