Tag: 2023 march madness

Still Alive: Badgers beat Minnesota 71-67 on Sunday

With postseason expectations on the line, Wisconsin travelled to Minnesota and beat the Gophers 71-67 on Sunday.

With postseason expectations on the line, Wisconsin travelled to Minnesota and beat the Gophers 71-67 on Sunday. The victory keeps the Badgers’ March Madness hopes alive.

With the team already locked into the 12 seed at the Big Ten Tournament this week (March 8-12), Greg Gard and his squad knew that they still needed a win over their arch-rival to bolster their chances of making the National Tournament.

Minnesota natives Tyler Wahl (Lakeville) and Steven Crowl (Eagan) led the way for Wisconsin, scoring 21 points each. Coincidentally, they both also compiled seven rebounds and two assists as well.

Paired with a clutch step-back three from Chucky Hepburn (11 points) with 47 seconds left to give the Badgers a 65-62 lead, Wisconsin was able to escape with the win after a series of free throws for both teams. The Badgers were able to go 2-0 versus their border rival this season.

Looking forward, #12 Wisconsin will take on #13 Ohio State on Wednesday night in Round 1 of the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago. The Badgers beat OSU 65-60 on Feb. 2 and are 2-0 against the Hawkeyes this season, so it’s possible they’ll be able to make some noise in the conference tournament.

As of right now, the team is far from a guarantee to be a part of March Madness, but if they can put together a couple more wins, they’ll be in a very solid sport ahead of the National Tournament.

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Close but no cigar, Badgers fall to Boilermakers 63-61 on Thursday

Wisconsin took on fifth-ranked Purdue at home Thursday night, losing a nail biter 63-61 versus their Big Ten foe.

Wisconsin took on fifth-ranked Purdue at home Thursday night, losing a nail biter 63-61 versus their Big Ten foe. The loss certainly complicates things for the Badgers’ NCAA Tournament hopes.

Coming into Thursday, Wisconsin was firmly on the tournament bubble and a win would have done wonders for their playoff chances. They did not get the victory and now their path into March Madness has gotten even more murky.

Star big man Zach Edey showed out in Purdue’s road win, compiling 17 points while using his 7-foot-4 frame to corale 19 rebounds. Freshman guard Fletcher Loyer (13 points) was the only other Boilermaker to produce in double-digits.

For the Badgers, they were able to get a more well-rounded effort offensively with Max Klesmit leading the game with 19 points (7-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT). Chucky Hepburn (13 points) also reached double-digits while Connor Essegian and Isaac Lindsey (all in first half) each added eight points.

The game came down to the wire with Ethan Morton going 1-for-2 at the charity stripe with 3.4 seconds on the clock, giving Purdue a 63-61 lead. Strapped with the challenge of not having a timeout left, Wisconsin was forced to inbound it and pray for a miracle, which they did not receive.

Max Klesmit launched up a deep three at the buzzer, leaving his shot well short of the rim and the Badgers short of a victory.

Moving forward, Greg Gard and his team will now head to Minneapolis to take on the Gophers on Sunday in what is truly a must-win game for Wisconsin.

Sitting at 16-13 overall and 8-11 in conference matchups, the Badgers are ranked 11th in the Big Ten and would currently take on Minnesota in the first round of the conference tournament next Thursday (March 8).

On the other side, Purdue captured their first Big Ten regular season title since 2019, coincidentally the last time Wisconsin missed the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers will close out their regular season Sunday at home against Illinois (20-10).

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Sister Jean surprisingly picked a non-Chicago team to win the NCAA men’s national title

Now that’s a surprising pick from Sister Jean.

Sister Jean remains one of the most beloved figures of the college basketball world, and she’s made a fascinating pick for the NCAA men’s tournament this spring.

While promoting her new memoir Wake Up With Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years, the 103-year-old Loyola men’s basketball chaplin shared a lot of great insight about her life in an interview with Good Morning America. 

However, Sister Jean also predicted an unexpected team to win the title for men’s basketball this season. While she’s always a Ramblers fan deep down, she’s guessing that Kentucky will win March Madness. Now that’s a stunner.

While the Wildcats struggled to start the hoops season, the team has rebounded and is third in the SEC standings as of Monday night. Kentucky has won four-straight games and should get a decent seed in the bracket in March.

The team now has one of the sharpest minds in the sport picking them, too. That’s got to feel good for the folks in Lexington. Sister Jean is on your side.

Watch: Badger legend interviews Jordan Davis on season

Jordan Davis went on former Badger Sam Dekker’s “Varsity Beat” show on Thursday, answering questions on how the year has gone for the team.

Jordan Davis went on former Badger Sam Dekker’s “Varsity Beat” podcast on Thursday, answering questions on how the season has gone for the Badgers.

After starting the year blazing hot and putting up an 11-2 record over their first 13 contests, Wisconsin saw their season quickly come back to Earth. Partially due to injuries sustained by Tyler Wahl (ankle) and Max Klesmit (upper body), the Badgers found themselves 12-8 entering February.

Since the start of the month, the team has gone 4-3 and has been treading water when it comes to their National Tournament hopes, being considered one of the Last Four In by ESPN in their most recent

Davis (5.8 PPG) recounted what the rollercoaster season has been like for him and his teammates.

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Wisconsin’s defense too much for Iowa, Badgers win 64-52 on Wednesday

The Badgers took on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday night at the Kohl Center, defeating their Big Ten opponent 64-52 in the matchup.

The Badgers took on the Iowa Hawkeyes on Wednesday night at the Kohl Center, defeating their Big Ten opponent 64-52 in the matchup.

In what was a much-needed victory for Wisconsin, he top thing that sticks out in the contest was the putrid shooting for the Hawkeyes, finishing the game 20-for-62 from the field (32.3%) and an abysmal 3-for-28 from long-range. Considering Iowa hadn’t scored under 60 points since December, the Badgers defense showed up when needed most Wednesday.

For Wisconsin, Tyler Wahl (11 points) reached double-digit points for the first time in four games while he also reeled in a career-high 14 rebounds. Additionally, Chucky Hepburn (12 points) and Connor Essegian (17 points) returned to form versus the Hawkeyes after the two guards combined for just eight points in Saturday’s loss to Rutgers.

Essegian in particular made multiple three-pointers (2-for-7), matching Brad Davison’s freshman record of 60 made threes in a season. He still has three more games to break it, which is all but a guarantee.

With the Badgers currently on the bracket bubble, the win of Iowa has massive tournament implications. If Greg Gard’s squad can continue to take care of business down the stretch, Wisconsin should be in March Madness in a few weeks.

For Wisconsin, the win raises their season record to 16-11 overall and 8-9 in the Big Ten. They’ll travel to face Michigan (15-12) on the road on Sunday.

On the other side, Iowa drops to 17-11 on the year and 9-8 in conference matchups. Their next contest will come Saturday at home versus Michigan State (17-10).

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Wisconsin lands on the outside of ESPN’s updated Bracketology

Joe Lunardi and ESPN released their latest Bracketology on Tuesday and Wisconsin landed on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament.

Joe Lunardi and ESPN released their latest Bracketology on Tuesday and Wisconsin landed on the “Next Four Out” section. This means that as of today, the Badgers would miss the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018 according to Lunardi’s projections.

Greg Gard’s squad has had a fall from grace since the new year after starting the season 12-2, as they’re now sitting at 13-10 on the campaign. The 1-8 stretch has been partly due to the injuries that Tyler Wahl (ankle) and Max Klesmit (upper body) suffered, with those two missing five games combined, but even with a full starting lineup, the team has struggled greatly.

At this point in the season, Wisconsin doesn’t have much time to turn it around and will have to go on a substantial run to earn a ticket to March Madness. They’re next contest will come Wednesday night at 7:30 PM on the road at Penn State (14-10).

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Consensus betting favorite Gonzaga comes in No. 2 to UNC in AP top 25 preseason poll

The Tar Heels were voted first place by a wide margin.

The North Carolina Tar Heels were voted as the top college basketball team in the country in the AP Top 25 preseason poll revealed Monday. They easily outpaced Gonzaga in first-place votes by a tally of 47-12, leaving the consensus national title betting favorite to take No. 2 in the poll.

The only other teams to receive first-place votes were No. 3 Houston (1) and No. 4 Kentucky (2). Kansas and Baylor are tied for No. 5.

UNC, Gonzaga, Houston and Kentucky all have +1000 odds to win next year’s national championship at BetMGM, tied for shortest in the country. But other places give the Bulldogs a slight edge, like Tipico, which has Gonzaga at +900. Gonzaga is even shorter with +850 odds at FanDuel.

Below is a look at the AP Top 25 and odds for each team courtesy of BetMGM.