Wisconsin basketball: Badgers receive zero votes in preseason AP top-25 poll

As we grow nearer and nearer to the start of the men’s college basketball season there are a couple of key checkpoints to know you are basically almost there. The preseason AP top-25 being released is one of them.

The Wisconsin Badgers received zero votes in the preseason poll and as such will start the season with a steep hill to climb to get into the top-25. The B1G is not without its members in the rankings however. The Michigan State Spartans start off the season as the team to beat, receiving the most votes and occupying the No. 1 spot. MSU received 60 of the 65 first place votes.

The Badgers play the Spartans twice this year and it will be exciting to see if UW can knock off the preseason favorites.

The rest of the top-five is a who’s who of college hoops royalty. The Kentucky Wildcats, Kansas Jayhawks, Duke Blue Devils and Louisville Cardinals round out the group following Michigan State. The Maryland Terrapins are No. 7, the Ohio State Buckeyes are No. 18 and the Purdue Boilermakers are No. 23, giving the B1G four ranked teams to start the season.

Wisconsin opens their season in South Dakota against the No. 20 Saint Mary’s Gaels and also have a matchup with the No. 24 Auburn Tigers in Brooklyn.

The Tennessee Volunteers, Marquette Golden Eagles, Illinois Fighting Illini, NC State Wolfpack and Michigan Wolverines are all among the teams in the “others receiving votes” category who are on the Wisconsin schedule. So, the Badgers will certainly have chances to improve their status this year if they are able to pull a few upsets early in the season.

We will continue to get you ready for the basketball season with our daily previews of each of Wisconsin’s opponents and a more in-depth look at the Badgers as opening tip draws closer.