Wisconsin makes history, sets up a 1-2 showdown

Get ready for another No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown in the Big Ten -- this time on the hardwood.

Wisconsin was the new No. 1 in the Associated Press top 25 poll on Monday and Big Ten rival Ohio State was not far behind at No. 2, though the Buckeyes were No. 1 in the coaches poll.

The Badgers(26-2, 12-1), atop the poll for the first time in school history, play the Buckeyes (24-3, 12-1) in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday -- about three months after Ohio State and Michigan played a No. 1 vs. No. 2 football game at Ohio Stadium.

Florida’s 83-70 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday dropped the Gators from the top to No. 3.

Wisconsin, No. 3 last week, leapfrogged second-ranked Ohio State to become the fourth No. 1 team this season. UCLA moved up to fourth in both polls.

For the Big Ten, it’s the second time the league best known for its football has had the top two teams in the AP basketball poll. Michigan was No. 1 and Indiana No. 2 on Nov. 30, 1992.

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Florida Coach Billy Donovan and forward Joakim Noah downplayed incidents that happened in the loss at Vanderbilt.

Donovan said he had no problem with what transpired between Noah and Commodores Coach Kevin Stallings. Stallings grabbed the ball near his bench and refused to give it to Noah for an inbound pass. Noah reached for it again, and Stalling swatted his hand away.

“Obviously, Kevin had the ball and Jo tried to get it to inbound it, and I don’t think there was anything that was that bad to me as a coach,” Donovan said. “I’ve got great respect for Stallings. He and I have a good relationship. I think if there was an issue for me, and for him, he and I would address it and talk about it. We haven’t. He acted like it was no big deal after the game. After watching it, I don’t think it’s any big deal.”

Noah agreed, even though he said Stallings yelled something at him as he tried to get the ball. Stallings said that “it’s something that happened in the heat of the moment.”

The Gators had another problem after the game when fans rushed the court and freshman guard Brandon Powell allegedly threw a punch.

Donovan said the team video showed Powell getting pushed while trying to get off the court.

The Southern Conference fined Vanderbilt $25,000 because the fans came onto the court. The school was fined $5,000 in March 2005 when fans ran onto the court following a win over Wichita State in an NIT game.