Wisconsin basketball came into the season with next to nothing in the expectation department. The media gave them none when they ranked them tied for 12th in the preseason Big Ten media poll. Their roster gave them little, as they lost AJ Storr, Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl and Connor Essegian to the transfer portal or graduation.
With all that went against them, the Badgers put everyone on notice early on with an upset of then-No. 9 Arizona. Now, they are coming off of a massive 10-point road win over #7 Purdue. That result came even with key bench player Kamari McGee being controversially ejected in the first half.
Wisconsin basketball hasn’t been flawless this year. The Badgers are only 5-4 on the road. They are still 20-5 on the season and 10-4 in conference play, however. Their recent win saw them vault up to No. 11 in this week’s AP Poll. While there is still plenty of season left with six more regular season conference matchups on the schedule, there is plenty of reason for optimism for Badgers fans.
With their most recent win catapulting them back into the eye of the media, how far can Wisconsin basketball go in March Madness?
Wisconsin Badgers Bracketology | March Madness Preview
Overall Record: 20-5
Conference Record: 10-4
Record vs Ranked Teams: 2-1
Wisconsin KenPom Rankings
| Rk | Off. Efficiency | Def. Efficiency | Record Quality | Momentum |
| 7 | 126.83 (4) | 96.51 (26) | 0.506 (9) | 2.62 (60) |
How Far Can Wisconsin Basketball Go in March Madness?
How Far Could The Badgers Go?
While there has been some optimism in some past seasons with Greg Gard at the helm, this season really feels different from those years. This team is incredibly balanced and extremely deep as well. One could argue that this Wisconsin Badgers basketball team is the best since Bo Ryan was at the helm.
As it is every year, many of these questions come down to how the bracket ends up. Last year, Wisconsin had a little Cinderella run to make it to the Big Ten Championship after upsetting center Zach Edey and Purdue in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Unfortunately, the committee was still brutal to the Badgers and gave them a fifth seed. With that, they also gave Wisconsin basketball one of the toughest 12 seeds in recent history with James Madison.
Even with plenty left to be determined, outside of a losing streak, the Badgers seem to have a very good chance at being a three or four-seeded team in March Madness. With some luck and a hot streak, it’s possible they could even get a two-seed as well. ESPN bracketology expert Joe Lunardi had Wisconsin basketball as a four-seed before they upset Purdue in West Lafayette. If the Badgers are given a favorable seed this year, they’d have a likely chance to play the first two rounds of March Madness in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
With that Milwaukee crowd and their depth, Wisconsin basketball can easily dance on to the Final Four. While they don’t have the top-end star power outside of John Tonje to go much further than that, a trip to San Antonio is very much in the realm of possibility.
How Far Will The Badgers Go?
Again, how far the Badgers go in the NCAA Tournament does have to do with how the committee views teams when they craft the bracket. With that being said, it seems very possible Wisconsin basketball will again get the opportunity to play in front of a favorable Wisconsin crowd. Special things happen when the Badgers get the crowd behind them, so it seems very likely they can stamp their ticket to the Sweet 16, at the very least.
Wisconsin’s depth and experience playing tough opponents all season will likely be enough to give them enough juice to make it to the Elite Eight. At that point in the tournament, their lack of “top-end talent” and consistent high-end scoring outside of John Tonje will likely get the better of them. Expect them to make it to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight but fall just short of a chance at the ultimate with a trip to the Final Four.
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