Wisconsin basketball rode a stellar week at the Big Ten Tournament to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Badgers open play with No. 12 seed James Madison, a tough opening draw. The winner gets the No. 4 Duke-No. 13 Vermont winner. The path may seem daunting, but it also represents a terrific opportunity for Greg Gard’s team to put together a memorable March.
Wisconsin’s resurgence since this time last week has its NCAA Tournament outlook on the rise. The 3-1 week — wins against Maryland, Northwestern and Purdue and a narrow loss to Illinois — also returned the team to the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
The Badgers are No. 24, a big jump from not even receiving votes last week. Other Big Ten teams in the top 25 are Purdue at No. 3 and Illinois at No. 10.
Wisconsin tips off its NCAA Tournament Friday night in Brooklyn, New York, as Gard’s squad looks to make its first Sweet 16 since 2016-17.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion. Follow Ben Kenney on X.
[lawrence-related id=73008,72974,72982,72933]