How Wisconsin's loss to USC impacts Badgers ranking and NCAA Tournament hopes

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard didn't seem too concerned when he sat at the Kohl Center podium after Sunday's 73-71 loss to the USC Trojans.

The Badgers struggled to knock down shots, going 9-for-37 from beyond the arc throughout the entire 40 minutes and making just five of 16 two-point attempts in the second half.

"We'll keep shooting," Gard said. "You don't get discouraged. You have to make sure you just keep taking the right shots and keep shooting and good things will continue to happen.

"It's been a while since I've had a somber locker room, so we'll be okay."

It was Wisconsin's first Quad 2 loss of the season, and their second loss at the Kohl Center. And while the defeat may have halted some of the momentum built up during the Badgers' five-game win streak, it shouldn't have many long-term ramifications.

#Badgers had a 12-point lead with 12 minutes to play. They wound up losing 73-71. Foul issues, missed layups and relying too much on Nick Boyd to carry the load buried Wisconsin.

RECAP: https://t.co/UoMlZQuxzW
— Cam Wilhorn (@CamWilhorn) January 25, 2026

Badgers still in NCAA Tournament field, on brink of Top 25

The Associated Press released its Week 12 rankings Monday.

In Week 11, Wisconsin received 64 votes, which was tied for the 26th most. Since the Week 11 rankings were released, the Badgers beat Penn State on the road by 28 and lost to USC.

They received just 51 votes in the Week 12 poll, which stood 27th in the nation. St John's, who they were tied with in Week 11, jumped into 25th place, while Tennessee leaped over Wisconsin for the 26th spot.

The Badgers peaked at 23rd in Week 3, and they've been out of the rankings since.

Hoops HQ released its weekly NCAA Tournament bracket on Monday, and it had the Badgers drop from an eight seed in the West Region to a nine seed in the East Region.

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi had the Badgers climb up to an eight seed after their big win over the Nittany Lions. However, he penalized the Badgers more for their loss than Hoops HQ did.

Lunardi didn't release a full bracket Monday, but he had Wisconsin atop the "Last Four Byes" category. That would likely make Wisconsin a 10 seed, or potentially a low nine seed, depending on automatic qualifiers.

pic.twitter.com/3BvM1ul2Zh
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) January 26, 2026

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Wisconsin's resume is largely being held up by the team's win over Michigan in Ann Arbor. Per the NCAA's net rankings, Wisconsin is 1-5 in Quad 1 games and 5-1 in Quad 2 contests. They're ranked 41st in the NET.

The Badgers will face off against Minnesota at the Kohl Center on Wednesday before embarking on a critical stretch of conference play.

After facing the Golden Gophers, Wisconsin will play vs Ohio State, at Indiana, at Illinois, vs Michigan State, at Ohio State and vs Iowa

Five of those six games will be Quad 1 opportunities. The exception is a home game vs Ohio State on Saturday. The Buckeyes fall just outside the top 30 in the NET rankings, standing at 36.

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Three Important Takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers' 73-71 loss to USC