Media poll predicts Wisconsin men’s basketball will finish in bottom half of Big Ten

MADISON – The Wisconsin men’s basketball team won’t carry the weight of high expectations into the season.

The Badgers are picked to finish in a tie with Nebraska for 12^th place in a preseason poll of media who cover the Big Ten Conference.

The poll, which is conducted by the Indianapolis Star and Columbus Dispatch, ranks the 18 teams in the conference as well as offers preseason all-conference teams and selections for preseason player, transfer and freshman of the year.

It was a quiet year for the Badgers in the poll. In addition their predicted 12th-place tie, no UW player received a vote for first- or second-team all-conference.

The poll was released in advance of Big Ten men’s media day, which will be held Thursday at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

Projected Big Ten standings (first-places votes in parentheses):

1. Purdue, 572 (20)

2. Indiana, 549 (7)

3. UCLA, 510 (2)

4. Illinois, 458 (2)

5. Michigan State, 448 (1)

6. Oregon, 412

7. Rutgers, 391

8. Ohio State, 369 (1)

9. Michigan, 342

10. Maryland, 263

11. Iowa, 249

T-12 Wisconsin, 212

T-12 Nebraska, 212

14. USC, 196

15. Washington, 158

16. Northwestern, 153

17. Penn State, 87

18. Minnesota, 62

More: Four things to know about the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s Big Ten schedule

Big Ten preseason player of the year

Braden Smith, Purdue (27). Also receiving votes: Oumar Ballo, Indiana, Ace Bailey, Rutgers (2); Kobe Johnson, UCLA, Payton Sandfort, Iowa (1).

Big Ten freshman of the year

Dylan Harper, Rutgers (19.5). Also receiving votes: Ace Bailey, Rutgers (12.5); Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois (1).

Big Ten transfer of the year

Oumar Ballo, Indiana (17). Also receiving votes: Great Osobor, Washington, Myles Rice, Indiana (4); Vlad Goldin, Michigan (3); Kylan Boswell, Illinois, (2); Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA, Ja’Kobe Gillespie, Maryland, Saint Thomas, USC (1).

First-team all-Big Ten

Braden Smith, Purdue (64)

Payton Sandford, Iowa (48)

Oumar Ballo, Indiana (47)

Bruce Thornton, Ohio State (34)

Dylan Harper, Rutgers (32)

Second-team all-Big Ten

Jackson Shelstad, Oregon (30)

Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State (26)

Great Osobor, Washington (26)

Ace Bailey, Rutgers (25)

Dawson Garcia, Minnesota (23)

Also receiving votes: Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern, Malik Reneau, Indiana (19); Mackenzie Mgbako and Myles Rice, Indiana (13); Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois (12); Vlad Goldin, Michigan (11); Desmond Claude, USC, Julian Reese, Maryland (7); Dylan Andrews, UCLA (6); Brice Williams, Nebraska (5); Jaden Akins, Michigan State, Kylan Boswell, Illinois (4); Xavier Booker, Michigan State, Kobe Johnson, UCLA (3); Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA, Frankie Fidler, Michigan State, Owen Freeman, Iowa, Ja’Kobe Gillespie, Maryland, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Indiana, Saint Thomas, USC (2); Meechie Johnson, Ohio State, Fletcher Loyer, Purdue, Sebastian Mack, UCLA (1).

More: The Big Ten Conference announces its preseason men’s basketball awards

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin men’s basketball picked to finish in tie for 12th in Big Ten