The Badgers have a new-look team in 2025. Can it be one of the best in the country?
The Wisconsin Badgers are essentially done with their offseason, putting together quite the haul in the transfer portal after losing a significant chunk of their roster.
Wisconsin had a strong 2024-25 season, parlaying 27 wins into a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament thanks to an All-American season from John Tonje, a big step from John Blackwell, and veteran depth.
Now, Tonje and that veteran depth is gone, but Blackwell returns as an early All-Big Ten first-team candidate, while Wisconsin hit the transfer portal to recoup some of their lost talent.
They got a first wave of transfers that included San Diego State guard Nick Boyd, Virginia wing Andrew Rohde, and Portland forward Austin Rapp. Then, they capped things off with Tulsa guard Braeden Carrington and Lithuanian forward Aleksas Bieliauskas.
Wisconsin still has one more spot to fill on its roster, which could be another overseas player, but it seems like their rotational pieces are pretty much set heading into the 2025-26 season.
So, what is the ceiling for this squad? Earlier this week, in our Reacts poll, we asked where the Badgers should be ranked to start the year, and the results were interesting.
A majority (41 percent) believed that the Badgers should be in the 20-25 range, which is where several projections currently have them. Another large group (31 percent) thought they deserved to be in the 15-20 range. Others were more optimistic, seeing Wisconsin as a top 15 team already.
When looking at the odds, FanDuel Sportsbook gives the Badgers the 25th-best odds to win the National Championship in 2026. That makes them the sixth-highest Big Ten team behind Purdue (No. 2), Michigan (No. 5), Illinois (No. 14), UCLA (No. 18), and Michigan State (No. 21).
Wisconsin is tied with Iowa, Indiana, and USC at No. 25, showing how wide open the Big Ten race could be once again this year. Michigan and Purdue seem like top-5 candidates, given how their offseasons went, but the rest of the Big Ten is up for grabs.
The Badgers will get quite a few litmus tests this season, including a preseason exhibition matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners, so there will be several games to evaluate their progress throughout the year.
Looking at the roster, depth and size could be a concern, but Wisconsin has a strong starting five that fits exactly what head coach Greg Gard likes for his offense. While it seems likelier that they begin the year in the 15-25 range, the Badgers should be ranked heading into 2025 and will look to build off a strong season this past year.