Wisconsin’s preseason outlook, remember, was a 12th-place finish in the new 18-team Big Ten. The Badgers have already proven that outlook wrong with a 15-4 (5-3 Big Ten) start to the season and a No. 18 ranking in the current AP Poll. Predictive metrics back that up — Wisconsin ranks No. 22 in KenPom and No. 26 in the ESPN BPI.

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard discussed the matchup against Essegian when meeting with the media on Friday, specifically what he’s seen from the former Badger at his new destination:

University of Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Greg Gard earned a milestone victory as the Badgers avoided a disastrous second-half collapse to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes 70-68 on Jan. 14. The Badgers started strong and took a 17-point lead into halftime.

The No. 24 Wisconsin men's basketball team picked up a too close for comfort 70-68 victory over Ohio State on Tuesday at the Kohl Center, but the night held

726) and Michigan State's Tom Izzo (.646). Additionally, Gard’s conference win rate ranks 8th-best among Big Ten coaches in the last 45 years. Those might not be Bo Ryan-level numbers ...

Career win No. 200 for Greg Gard felt uncomfortably ... He’s now 108-72 in conference play, a .600 winning percentage that ranks as the eighth-best among Big Ten coaches since 1980.

John Blackwell added 15 points and Steven Crowl 14 for Wisconsin to give coach Greg Gard his 200th career victory. Bruce Thornton had 21 points and Devin Royal 12 for Ohio State. LOS ANGELES (AP ...

The 6-foot-4 guard who played his first two seasons at Wisconsin is averaging 11.2 points per game for Nebraska.

It’s officially time to pull the fire alarm, punch the panic button or any other metaphor you want to use to signal the fleeting hopes of Nebraska’s basketball

Wisconsin’s preseason outlook, remember, was a 12th-place finish in the new 18-team Big Ten. The Badgers have already proven that outlook wrong with a 15-4 (5-3 Big Ten) start to the season and a No. 18 ranking in the current AP Poll. Predictive metrics back that up — Wisconsin ranks No. 22 in KenPom and No. 26 in the ESPN BPI.

Jan 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) is greeted by guard Skyy Clark (55) during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

For more, here are those full day-after takeaways: Jan 21, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins center Aday Mara (15) is greeted by guard Skyy Clark (55) during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images