Feb 10, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard gives a hand to player Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell (25) after a win over the Illinois Fighting Illini during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Wisconsin Badgers earn national recognition for pair of top 10 wins

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Cam Wilhorn | Last updated Feb 16, 2026 12:52 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers have pulled off a complete 180 over the last five weeks.

A slew of uncompetitive losses before the calendar flipped to 2026 put Greg Gard and the Badgers at risk of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four years.

Since then, Wisconsin has contineud to defy expectations, picking up big win after big win.

They added two more top 10 victories to their rapid-growing resume last week, vaulting themselves clearly into the March Madness picture and earning praise from across the country.

Wisconsin Badgers named "Team of the Week" after downing Illinois, Michigan State

Last week, teams in the Top 10 of the AP Poll lost a total of five games to teams outside of the Top 10.

Two of those losses were to Wisconsin, who upended No. 8 Illinois in overtime on the road and dominated No. 10 Michigan State at the Kohl Center. That was enough for the Badgers to be labeled Team of the Week nationally.

Weekly Awards from @TheAndyKatz

Team of the Week: Wisconsin
Player of the Week: JT Toppin
Freshman of the Week: Mikel Brown Jr. pic.twitter.com/04Wv1yG2BT
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 16, 2026

Weekly Superlatives

Team of the Week: @BadgerMBB
Coach of the Week: Jai Lucas (@CanesHoops)
Player of the Week: JT Toppin (@TexasTechMBB) pic.twitter.com/yDpuFcFTF6
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 16, 2026

While it was Wisconsin's first appearance on the Field of 68's Weekly Superlatives this season as team of the week, it was their second time earning the recognition from Andy Katz.

The Badgers victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor on January 10 as 19.5-point underdogs was enough to earn the honors.

Other outlets recognized Wisconsin and its players for their exceptional play during the back-to-back upset wins, though the performances seemingly weren't enough for the team of the week label.

College Basketball Week 15 Superlatives pic.twitter.com/3SnR4r2eXX
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 15, 2026

Landing the titles of best offense, MVP, and best upset, the Badgers were well represented.

Nick Boyd averaged 27.7 points, 4.5 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range during the two wins. He turned the ball over just once.

Related: Nick Boyd is already surpassing John Tonje as Wisconsin Badgers breakout transfer guard

He and John Blackwell fueled the Badgers offense, which delivered 92 points in both games and shredded a Spartans' defense that was widely considered a top-5 unit nationally.

This article first appeared on Wisconsin Badgers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: