No. 14 Wisconsin 成し遂げるing better than 推定する/予想するd once again

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin is at it again.

The 14th-階級d Badgers seem 均衡を保った to outperform preseason 期待s 劇的な for a second straight year. This time, they´re doing it without the 利益 of having an NBA 宝くじ 選ぶ on their roster.

Wisconsin (11-2, 3-0 Big Ten) has won six straight and is tied for first place in the Big Ten standings with Michigan (9-5, 3-0). The Badgers can earn their first 4-0 start in Big Ten 競争 since 2012-13 with a victory Saturday at Illinois (9-5, 0-3).

That´s やめる an 業績/成就 for a team that didn´t get a 選び出す/独身 投票(する) in the preseason Associated 圧力(をかける) 最高の,を越す 25.

"We all believe in each other, to be able to do the things we have to do, and we know we can," point guard Chucky Hepburn said. "We depend on each other. We get after each other in practice. We see it in practice. Nobody else in the outside world sees it but us."

The next couple of weeks could show whether Wisconsin is a serious 会議/協議会 肩書を与える 競争相手, with four of the next six games on the road. 主要な scorer Tyler Wahl left a 63-60 victory ove r Minnesota on Wednesday with an ankle 傷害 and didn´t practice the next day, leaving his status 不明瞭な for the Illinois game.

Yet the Badgers already have shown they´re better than preseason 予測(する)s 示唆するd. That was the 事例/患者 last season 同様に. Although the Big Ten doesn´t have an 公式の/役人 preseason 投票, The Columbus 派遣(する) and The 運動競技の 解放(する) their own 投票 of (警官の)巡回区域,受持ち区域 writers across the 会議/協議会. That 投票 had Wisconsin finishing ninth out of 14 teams.

One year earlier, Wisconsin was 選ぶd to finish 10th and ended up 株ing the Big Ten 正規の/正選手-season 肩書を与える with Illinois.

"It doesn´t really 事柄 what those people are 説 or what anyone says," 中心 Steven Crowl said. "At the end of the day, you have to come play the games and go between the lines, and I think we do a good 職業 of playing our brand of basketball - Badger basketball."

The Badgers´ 現在の roster doesn´t 含む a 選び出す/独身 最高の,を越す-125 prospect によれば 合成物 最高位のs of 新採用するing 場所/位置s 収集するd by 247Sports.

Wisconsin's 欠如(する) of 最近の NCAA Tournament success also could play a part in getting overlooked: The Badgers reached the 選手権 game as recently as 2015 and were in the 甘い 16 in 2017 but 港/避難所't 前進するd beyond the 一連の会議、交渉/完成する of 32 since.

加える, Wisconsin had to 取って代わる All-America first-team 選択 Johnny Davis, who went to the Washington Wizards with the 10th 全体にわたる 選ぶ in this year´s 草案. The team is 栄えるing nonetheless, 改善するing from 30.6% of its 3-point 試みる/企てるs last season ( the lowest of any Big Ten team) to second in the league this season at 38.2%.

"存在 a better 3-point 狙撃 team this year, it creates a lot more space for us to be able to 運動," said Hepburn, who has gone 28 of 55 from beyond the arc.

The Badgers have 後継するd by finding the 権利 players, 関わりなく their ratings.

Wahl, the nation's No. 204 prospect in his high school class によれば the 247Sports 合成物, is a three-year starter who is 得点する/非難する/20ing 13.2 points per game. Crowl, 階級d 235th, is a 7-footer who passes 井戸/弁護士席 enough to have a team-high 3.2 補助装置s per game. Connor Essegian, 率d 226th, is 普通の/平均(する)ing 10.5 points as a freshman.

Wisconsin´s 可能性のある was 明らかな in the 戦う/戦い 4 Atlantis in November, when the Badgers 脅すd into then-No. 1 Kansas before 落ちるing 69-68 in overtime. Wisconsin lost 78-75 at home to Wake Forest the に引き続いて week but has since 再度捕まえるd its knack for winning 接戦s.

Four of the Badgers´ victories during their six-game 勝利,勝つ streak have been decided by five points or より小数の, 含むing overtime 勝利s at Marquette and Iowa. Since the start of last season, Wisconsin has gone 18-5 in games decided by five points or より小数の.

"Good teams find a way," coach Greg Gard said after the Minnesota game. "When you´re not playing and clicking on all cylinders and sputtering at times, good teams dig 負かす/撃墜する and find a way to get it done."

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/中心/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/中心/ap-最高の,を越す-25-college-basketball-投票 and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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