Wisconsin is fresh off a forgettable week, arguably the worst of its 2023-24 season thus far. The Badgers first squandered a 19-point lead on the road at Nebraska on Thursday, before returning home and narrowly losing to No. 2 Purdue.
The losses drop the Badgers to 16-6 on the season and 8-3 in Big Ten play — now tied for second with Illinois and a whole 1.5 games behind first-place Purdue.
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The performances also had the Badgers slide in KenPom’s rankings. From No. 11 in the nation, the team moved down to No. 13 overall — now with the No. 9 offense and No. 33 defense.
Greg Gard’s team remains the third-highest-ranked team in the Big Ten, but is now further behind Illinois at No. 10 and Purdue at No. 2.
The season is far from over, especially with another matchup with Purdue in early March. But Wisconsin must return to its winning ways starting Wednesday at Michigan if it wants to keep pace atop the Big Ten.
