The Badgers men’s basketball team is off to a surprising 8-0 start to begin the year and are currently ranked No. 11 in the most recent AP Poll.
With a blowout win against Arizona and commanding victories over the University of Central Florida and the University of Pittsburgh to win the Greenbrier Tip-Off Tournament, the Badgers have an impressive early season resume.
The Badgers are now set to enter their toughest stretch of the season, with their Big Ten conference schedule beginning at home against Michigan on Dec. 3.
What to expect from the newly expanded Big Ten this year
Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC are all playing their inaugural seasons as members of the Big Ten conference.
These new schools add to an already competitive year in the Big Ten, which is currently the only Division I conference where every team has five or more wins to begin the year. Additionally, 11 teams in the conference have one or no losses so far.
Like the Badgers, Oregon is also off to a hot 8-0 start and are currently ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll.
No. 8 Purdue, the consensus preseason favorite to win the Big Ten, are off to a strong 7-1 start.
Before the season, Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated predicted Rutgers would finish sixth in the Big Ten partly because the Scarlet Knights are led by Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, two potential top-five picks in the upcoming NBA Draft in 2025.
Overall, the Big Ten will be highly competitive, and there are no “layup” games for any team.
What to expect from the Badgers in Big Ten play
Last season, the Badgers’ Big Ten conference schedule was a grind. Wisconsin went 11-9 and had a stretch where they lost seven out of nine games.
But this year’s roster is entirely different as Wisconsin lost and replaced eight players during the off-season. Despite the majority of the team having never played with each other before this season, Wisconsin’s offense is off to a tremendous start.
The Badgers average 80.3 points per game, the 23rd highest average in the country. They lead the nation in free throw percentage (86.4%) and have the 19th highest offensive rating in the country, according to KenPom.
Missouri transfer John Tonje has been the star of this potent Badgers offense. Tonje, who was named Big Ten Player of the Week the last two weeks, is averaging 22.9 points per game — the eighth highest out of any player in college basketball.
Will the Badgers be able to maintain their high-level offense during Big Ten play?
“It’s a long season. We’re not even a quarter of the way through it,” head coach Greg Gard said in a press conference following the team’s win over Chicago State on Saturday. “We'll get ready to jump into Big Ten play."
When asked about tough shooting stretches and the offense becoming stagnant, Gard said, “Just keep playing, right?”
“You know, there are gonna be ebbs and flows to the game. You make sure that you take care of the ball. But make sure you're getting the right shots,” he said.
According to TeamRankings, the Badgers turn the ball over at the 14th lowest rate and have the 18th best turnover-to-assist ratio in the country.
As experience with the Big Ten gauntlet has taught Gard and his staff, if the Badgers continue to have efficient possessions and maintain their low turnover rate, the offense can continue their success as they make their way through the conference schedule.
Concerns ahead for Badgers on the road
Last year, the Badgers went 3-9 on the road and shot 11 of their 14 lowest field goal percentages of the season at opposing and neutral sites.
The Badgers have yet to take on an opponent’s home court this year, and their first big test will be this Saturday in Milwaukee against No. 5 Marquette.
Later on in the season, the Badgers have a slew of really tough conference away contests. Strong performances on the road against Rutgers on Jan. 6, Purdue on Feb. 5 and Michigan State on March 2 will be pivotal to the Badgers’ hopes of winning a Big Ten regular season title.
With the 18-team expansion of the Big Ten, the Badgers will travel all the way out to Southern California to take on both the University of Southern California and the University of Los Angeles in January.
Big Ten play is always a challenge and there will be bumps along the way. However, if the Badgers can maintain their dominant offense and have players close out games in big moments on the road, this team has the potential to be atop the Big Ten standings and poised for a potential run in a Big Ten and NCAA tournament in March.
