Wisconsin
Wisconsin men’s basketball falls in the Associated Press, USA Today coaches polls following bad loss
MADISON – A team can’t lose to one of the worst squads in its conference without suffering repercussions in the national rankings the next week.
Wisconsin took a hit this week.
The Badgers men’s basketball team, which was upset by Penn State on Saturday at the Kohl Center, dropped six spots in the Associated Press poll to No. 18. The voters for the USA Today coaches poll were kinder to UW, dropping it just two spots for the 86-75 loss to the Nittany Lions.
Both polls were released Monday.
Despite the fall, Wisconsin, which is 23-8 and finished the Big Ten tied for fourth place with a 13-7 record, is ranked in both polls for the eighth straight week.
UW is one of seven Big Ten teams in the top 25 this week. Here is how the rest of the conference stands in the polls: Michigan State (No. 7 AP/ No. 6 coaches), Maryland (11/11), Purdue (20/20), Michigan (22/21), Oregon (23/not ranked) and Illinois (24/25).
The Badgers are the No. 5 seed for the Big Ten tournament. They will face the winner of the Northwestern-Minnesota first-round game at approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.