Wisconsin basketball (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) landed at No. 24 in the latest AP Poll Top 25 on Monday.

Wisconsin returns to the hierarchy for the first time since Dec. 9's installment -- when Greg Gard's group held the No. 20 position. Recent wins over Butler (Dec. 14), Detroit Mercy (Dec. 22), Iowa (Jan. 3), Rutgers (Jan. 6) and Minnesota (Jan. 10) have propelled UW back into the top 25.

Wisconsin earned 132 votes to move up 13 total spots from its 'receiving votes' position in last week's edition. The team's recent defensive stands, including a 75-63 win over the Scarlet Knights and an 80-59 win vs. the Golden Gophers, have appeared to convince voters that it belongs alongside the other top teams in the sport.

Wisconsin's three losses now look even more explainable. The AP has Marquette, Illinois and Michigan inside the top 25, Marquette even in the top 10.

The Badgers will look to build on their current five-game win streak when Ohio State visits Madison, Wisconsin on Tuesday. UW will then travel West to play both USC (10-6) and UCLA (11-5), looking to rise in both the conference and national standings.