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Badgers Jump Well Into the Top 20 in the Latest AP Poll
© Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Wisconsin basketball team is rising in the AP rankings after going 2-0 last week. The Badgers defeated the Indiana Hoosiers at home and capped off their week after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road on Saturday in a close, hard-fought game. 

After a chaotic week of college basketball, the Badgers moved up five spots to No. 16 in this weeks' AP Top 25 rankings

Wisconsin sits solidly at No. 16 with 488 points. Kentucky, who comes in at No. 15 ahead of the Badgers, has 558 points. 

The Badgers are now the third-highest ranked team in the Big Ten. Ahead of them are Pudue (No. 7) and Michigan State (No. 11). Michigan (No. 20) and Maryland (No. 25) are the remaining Big Ten team in the top 25.

Other ranked teams Wisconsin basketball fans may take note of are the Kansas Jayhawks (No. 17), Marquette (No. 18), and Arizona (No. 13). UCLA, Illinois, and Louisville are three of the first four teams receiving votes that did not make the rankings. 

Kansas has seven losses already this year and former Wisconsin Badgers star AJ Storr has played for the Jayhawks sparingly and has been a big disappointment for Kansas. Meanwhile, John Tonje, who was brought in to help replace Storr, has been phenomenal and has more than filled that void by himself. 

So three of the Badgers' five losses are in the current top 25, while the other two teams are the next two in line to be ranked. They've also beaten the current No. 13 team handily earlier this season. 

The Badgers have a huge matchup looming this Saturday with Purdue at Mackey Arena. This is the lone game for Wisconsin this week, giving them plenty of time to rest and prepare for the showdown with the No. 7 team in the country that could have major implications in both the Big Ten and the NCAA Tournament. 

Stay in the loop with all things Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball by visiting AllBadgers.com for more updates.

Ready to join the community? Follow Athlon Sports on YouTube, Facebook, and X to join in on the conversation.

You can also follow Staff Writer Christian Borman at @ChristianBorman on X.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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