This was a statement win for the Wisconsin Badgers, just not in the typical sense. Rather than draw rave reviews with a dominating performance in multiple facets of the game, the UW men impressed Monday night against Rutgers with their grit,

Greg Gard’s group overcame 16 turnovers and a late Rutgers surge to do so. Wisconsin’s comfortable lead dwindled to three points with six minutes remaining in the contest. The Badgers then leaned on their veteran depth, specifically Steven Crowl, John Tonje, Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee, to close the game.

Wisconsin basketball (11-3, 1-2 Big Ten) remains on the outside of the latest AP Poll Top 25 entering its road matchup at Rutgers. The Badgers did gain ground after their 1-0 week, however. They received 31 total votes (30th overall) in the newest poll,

Ahead of a Big Ten Conference showdown with Rutgers, the Wisconsin men found out they are gaining some traction towards a return to the college basketball rankings. The Badgers received 31 votes in the latest AP Poll Top 25 and are 30th overall while they picked up three votes in the Coaches Poll.