The Wisconsin Badgers have launched their 2026/27 campaign with a perfect 3-0 record that was recently capped off by a dominant 89-42 win against Fairfield. 

To open the season, Greg Gard’s men played too close a scoreline against Denver which saw them win by only seven points in a 75-68 scare. A few days later, things looked equally shaky in a 73-64 win over Delaware, but Tuesday’s win over Fairfield finally provided a slight reprieve. 

Despite the Badgers' inconsistency, they are still getting the nod as one of college basketball’s best teams according to the latest USA Today Coaches Poll, where Wisconsin fell into the others receiving votes column. 

It doesn’t take long for Wisconsin’s schedule to amp up

In a month’s time, Gard’s team is set to square off against Coastal Carolina, Seton Hall, Northeastern, Northwestern, Marquette, and Purdue. 

While games against Coastal and Northeastern should be relative walks in the park, the Pirates, Wildcats, Golden Eagles, and Boilermakers are all high-major teams that would be more than capable of exploiting the weaknesses the Badgers have put on tape thus far. 

However, for now, Gard and Co. can only focus on the game ahead of them, which is the Chanticleers next Sunday, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. and streaming available on the Big Ten Network.