Where does the new-look Badgers team figure in the Big Ten rankings?
The Wisconsin Badgers made quite a few improvements this offseason, looking to retool their roster in the transfer portal after losing six seniors and 10 total players after the 2024-25 season.
Head coach Greg Gard and his staff quickly went to work in the transfer portal, targeting San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia wing Andrew Rohde, and Portland forward Austin Rapp, who all signed with the Badgers.
Those three, paired with returning juniors John Blackwell and Nolan Winter, should make up the nucleus of Wisconsin’s team in 2025. But, the Badgers also sought depth, bringing back Jack Janicki, while adding Tulsa guard Braeden Carrington, Lithuanian forward Aleksas Bieliauskas, and three freshmen to the mix for the upcoming season.
Wisconsin has been one of the more underrated teams in the Big Ten over the last two years, being ranked to finish 12th by the preseason media poll before earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament last year.
Now, ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season, how are the Badgers perceived? CBS Sports’s Isaac Trotter broke down the entire Big Ten, ranking teams into tiers ahead of the season.
There were five total tiers: Tier 1 (Title Contenders), Tier 2 (Top 25 caliber club), Tier 3 (NCAA Tournament teams), Tier 4 (Bubblicious), and Tier 5 (The Basement).
He ranked Wisconsin in Tier 3 as the No. 5 team in the Big Ten, placing them in the ‘NCAA Tournament teams’ group.
“Just a heads up: Wisconsin’s offense is going to put teams in a blender again,” Trotter wrote. “Blackwell gives the Badgers a legitimate Big Ten Player of the Year contender, and he’s surrounded by so much shooting. Boyd, Rapp, Rohde and Winter all shot over 35% from downtown last year on real volume.
“Boyd and Blackwell are also pests defensively which will be necessary because the interior defense for Wisconsin could be an area of weakness. There’s a lot riding on Winter leveling up on that end in Year 3. The Badgers don’t have great depth, but this still appears to be a well-constructed team that should make the NCAA Tournament.”
The depth concern is a valid argument, as Wisconsin will be asking players to step up who haven’t seen serious playing time. Janicki is one of them, potentially moving into a sixth-man role after being at the back of the rotation in 2024. While his energy and defensive effort are certainly positives, he’ll need to develop into more of a consistent scorer, especially as a shooter.
Behind him, the Badgers will have Carrington, who has never been a reliable scorer, at the wing. Then, in the frontcourt, Wisconsin could have to rely on Bieliauskas, whose readiness level is currently unknown. That’s to back up Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp, who are each more suitable for the power forward position.
With the team’s current depth, the Badgers may be forced to play their freshmen more this season. Zach Kinziger seems likelier to enter the rotation, even if he may not be as physically ready or effective on the defensive end. Despite facing a broken ankle in April of last year, Garlock also may be asked to play some minutes at center, given his athleticism.
Depth will ultimately make or break this team, but the Badgers do also seem like a Top 25-caliber team, regardless, so it’s a little surprising they’re a tier below.
Ahead of them were Purdue and Michigan in the title-contender tier, and Illinois and UCLA in the Top 25-caliber tier. All four teams, along with Wisconsin, should be threats in the ‘ultra-deep’ Big Ten, which could figure to be like last season, where a multitude of teams were firmly in the mix for a top-four seed.
Is Wisconsin a Top 25-caliber team? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.