Despite the losses, Wisconsin basketball stays put in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology

It’s been a gradual fall for the 2020-21 Wisconsin basketball team, starting the season in the nation’s top five and now being projected

It’s been a gradual fall for the 2020-21 Wisconsin basketball team, starting the season in the nation’s top five and now being projected as a middle seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament.

Much of that decline in the national rankings can be attributed to the team’s inability to beat the nation’s top teams, the Badgers have lost their last nine games against ranked opponents.

The latest hard-fought loss against a ranked team came last night, with the Iowa Hawkeyes taking advantage of a lengthy shooting spell from Wisconsin and coming away with a 62-57 victory.

Despite the loss, and the eight “quality” losses that came before, Wisconsin is still sitting as a 6-seed in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology.

The ranking would be huge news for Greg Gard’s team, as entering as a 6-seed means they would avoid one of the 1-seeds if they are to win their opening game.

Seen on the ESPN website, Lunardi’s current projected matchup for the Badgers is against the UCLA Bruins, the winner likely going on to face 3-seed Houston.

Check-in on Sunday as the official NCAA Tournament bracket is announced and we preview the road ahead for the 2020-21 Wisconsin Badgers.

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