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Wisconsin Has Become a Top 10 Team Killer

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Kaleb Kraus | Last updated Feb 15, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The Big Ten conference is in the midst of a pretty awesome season in college basketball. The league currently has five teams ranked in the top 15 by the Associated Press. One of those teams isn’t the Wisconsin Badgers. Even though Wisconsin isn’t ranked, it might have the three most impressive wins in the entire conference, all coming against top-ten teams.

Even more impressive, two of those wins came on the road. One thing is for sure: Wisconsin is the kryptonite for top-ten teams as of late. So how did they get here?

Wisconsin Has Become a Top 10 Team Killer

It all started back in early January, when the Badgers were in the midst of a very tough stretch in their schedule. After losing to both Nebraska and Purdue, who are the other two ranked Big Ten teams currently, Wisconsin made a trip to Ann Arbor to face a Michigan team that has proven to be a real juggernaut this season.

Despite being outsized by the Wolverines, the duo of John Blackwell and Nick Boyd led the Badgers to a massive upset on the road. As it turns out, that has been Michigan’s only defeat this season. If that wasn’t enough, Wisconsin beat teams that aren’t near the top of the conference before two slip-ups against USC and Indiana. Those losses, along with some very close games against Minnesota and Ohio State, had some worried about the Badgers.

Badgers Have Found the Next John Tonje

Head coach Greg Gard continues to find players who can make a huge difference on the court. The hero in 2024-25 was John Tonje. Tonje was a grad transfer who turned into one of the best pure scorers and players in the Big Ten last season. It appears Wisconsin struck gold again with Boyd. Boyd has been near unstoppable during the last five games.

Wisconsin guard Nick Boyd (2) hits a three-point basket during the second half of their game Friday, February 13, 2026, at the Kohler Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Wisconsin beat 10th-ranked Michigan State 92-71. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In fact, Wisconsin has beaten a top 10 Illinois squad behind 25 points from Boyd, before he was near unstoppable against a pretty good defensive unit in Michigan State. The Spartans had no answers for Boyd as he scored 29 points in a 21-point upset. Not only was he hot from deep, the Badgers as a whole were, as they shot 42 percent from three, and made 15 threes total.

It was a very good week for the Badgers. With Boyd scoring at the rate he is, paired with Blackwell also averaging over 20 points a game, Wisconsin appears to be a top 10 team killer, and definitely not someone those opponents will want to see in March.

Who’s to Say They Can’t Win the Big Ten?

The Badgers are 10-4 in the Big Ten, and they are going to need a lot of help with Michigan at 13-1—all but three games ahead of the other top contenders, like Wisconsin, Nebraska, Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois. Then again, Michigan has to go to Purdue and Illinois still, plus a rematch with the Spartans. The best way to look at it is that Wisconsin has shown they have the firepower to beat anybody.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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