College Basketball Preview: Michigan State Is the Team to Beat in the Big Ten

On the Decline: Wisconsin Badgers

Few are going to doubt the track record of the Wisconsin program, which has continued churning out tournament appearances and wins in March, as head coach Greg Gard has picked up right where 2017 Hall of Fame inductee Bo Ryan left off. The Badgers could very well return to the Big Dance this season, but to do so, they'll have to replace a ton of production and veteran leadership from 2017's Sweet 16 squad.

Returning Ethan Happ for his junior season is a great start on the road back to March, as he's one of the most skilled big men in the country. Happ, who averaged 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds a game with an effective field goal percentage of 59 percent last year, could very well provide stiff competition for Miles Bridges for Big Ten Player of the Year. But no one else coming back from last year's team averaged more than six points per game.

Wisconsin lost nearly 37 points per game in scoring production and a ton of tournament experience when Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes, and Zak Showalter graduated last spring. Happ's talent could very well be enough to lead the Badgers into the top half of the Big Ten again this season, but there are plenty of question marks around him as the Badgers attempt to fill the void left by a highly-successful and memorable senior class.