KenPom Underestimates Wisconsin Basketball in Preseason Rankings

Sleep on Wisconsin basketball in the offseason. Act surprised when its new pieces fit seamlessly into one of the most entertaining systems in the country. Praise head coach Greg Gard for yet another marvelous coaching job.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

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Underestimating Wisconsin basketball in the preseason is a time-honored tradition at this point. The Badgers have consistently out-performed expectations the past few seasons, seeming to produce a surprise breakout star year in and year out while evolving into one of the best watches in the country with a fast-paced, three-point-heavy offensive attack powered by dynamic backcourt players and big men that can shoot the cover off the ball.

Add another ranking/metric to the list of them taking Wisconsin somewhat lightly this season. KenPom, the ubiquitous analytics site that keeps and updates a comprehensive ranking of all 365 D-I teams, has the Badgers as the No. 40 team in the country, checking in at No. 9 – the exact middle – of the Big Ten.

Wisconsin’s offensive rating, meanwhile, is No. 43 nationally while its defense slides in at No. 37. The Badgers are currently projected by the website to post a 10-10 record in conference play.

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Of course, this all means very little before the Badgers play a game that counts. KenPom operates by receiving a ton of data, incorporating it into its formula and producing rankings that change daily based on results across the college basketball landscape. It’s difficult to calculate a team’s adjusted offensive efficiency before they actually, you know, take the court.

Still, KenPom’s initial Big Ten rankings are consistent with other preseason projections we’ve seen in regards to Wisconsin basketball. The Badgers are expected to be competitive, but also middle of the pack in the grand scheme of the Big Ten and generally outside the AP Top 25.

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Publish date : 2026-10-12 16:00:00

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