Badgers Among the Four Ranked in Preseason Poll

The temperatures are dropping, and pretty soon snow will be falling. That only means one thing...basketball season will soon be upon us, and the first poll of the season has officially arrived.

The Big Ten is well represented in the top 25 in the first coaches poll of the season. While the Badgers are barely hanging on the edge, the conference has some solid teams in the top 25.

Wisconsin comes in at 24, and is the last of the Big Ten teams to be ranked in the top 25. Michigan State on the other hand has the honor of being the top ranked Big Ten team at number four.

Purdue was expected to be a top five team this year by many analysts, but that all changed when their star player Robbie Hummel was lost for the season in the first practice of the year. Currently the Boilermakers come in at twelve, but yet are not where many expected them too be to start the season.

Right in front of the Boilermakers is the Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite losing Evan Turner to the NBA the Buckeyes come enter the season ranked number 11, and return a lot of talent this season. Not to mention a highly touted recruiting class entering this season.

Teams that did not make the top 25 that could easily be right in the discussion obviously include Illinois, Minnesota and Northwestern.

The Illini return a lot of talent this year from a team that barely missed the big dance last season. Including their star guard Demetri McCamey. Not to mentio alot of experienced talent, and another quality recuriting class making their debut in Champaign this year.

Northwestern on the other hand can put their name right up their with Purdue in terms of a team that had bigger aspirations entering the season. Then they lost perhaps their star player. Last season Kevin Coble went down with a foot injury right before their season opener agains Northern Illinois. This year Coble will not be in purple and white, but not because of injury. Coble has decided he no longer wants to play basketball for Northwestern.

Regardless of Coble not returning, the Wildcats do return a lot of quality talent. They are a very deedp team with stars like Michael "Juice" Thompson, and John Shurna.

Minnesota on the other hand are returning a ton of players this season, and are looking to challenge for the Big Ten title from the outside. If their run last year in the conference tournament was any indication don't expect Minnesota to go quiety.

Not going quietly either will be Penn State. They too return a lot of talent this season, and that includes conference "player of the year" candidate Taylor Battle. Despite the bismal record last season the Nittan Lions are still a dangerous team in the Big Ten.

All of that means one thing for the Badgers...a lot of competition. Like many teams in college basketball Wisconsin is replacing some of their best players. With the departures of Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon the Badgers have plenty of offensive production to replace.

Wisconsin does have one of their star players returning this season in John Leuer. They also return key starters Keaton Nankivil, Jordan Taylor, and Ryan Evans. If the Badgers are competitive in what should be a deep conference it will be those guys who step in and fill the void left by Hughes and Bohannon. And if the polls are any indication...the coaches expect exactly that.