The Wisconsin Badgers win over the undefeated Michigan Wolverines wasn't just huge for Greg Gard, but it was the biggest upset any team has pulled off this season.

The last time we opened up our mailbag, we already had a fairly good sense of which teams were surging (Michigan, Arizona) and struggling (Kentucky, Marquette). But with the nonconference slate fully in the rear view, and conference play underway, all eyes start slowly turning toward March. Speaking of which:

Michigan started the college basketball season 14-0 but finally lost on Saturday after Roddy Gayle Jr. missed a potential game-tying three that secured a 91-88 upset for Wisconsin.

The first week of January is always a reckoning point in women’s college basketball. Nonconference resumes collide with the realities of league play, reputations are stress-tested, and assumptions built in November either harden into truth or dissolve under pressure.

The first AP Top 25 college basketball poll of 2026 featured little shakeup at the very top, with Arizona and Michigan holding firm at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. However, after there was no poll last week due to the lack of teams playing, plenty of movement in the middle took place.

Others REceiving Votes: Saint Louis 92, Kansas 60, Iowa 58, Miami (Ohio) 49, Villanova 40, Wisconsin 37, Miami 30, Texas A&M 23, UCF 18, Saint Mary’s 17, SMU 15, Auburn 14, George Mason 8, NC State 3, Southern Cal 1, St. John’s 1.