- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 370,631
- Reaction score
- 43
The Wisconsin men's basketball team reached as high as No. 11 in the Associated Press rankings this season but struggled down the stretch, with losses at home to Oregon and Penn State that knocked the team's postseason outlook into a greater degree of uncertainty.
Here's what to know about UW on the cusp of learning its NCAA tournament fate:
For a while, it looked like a lock that the Badgers would get the right to play in Milwaukee for first- and second-round games, but then came late-season losses at home to Oregon and especially Penn State, a team that had nothing to play for and nonetheless ruined the Badgers' Senior Day. Wisconsin will still be on the fringe of earning the right to play at Fiserv Forum, just as they did in 2022. Then again, that team lost in the second round even before the home crowd and didn't replicate the magic of the 2014 run. And, if the Badgers haven't had success in recent games in Madison, does it matter if they play in Milwaukee?
As of March 15, Jerry Palm of CBS, Joe Lunardi of ESPN and USA TODAY all project Wisconsin as a No. 3 seed and playing in Milwaukee.
If Wisconsin settles in as a 3 or 4 seed, it's almost certainly going to get a mid-major automatic qualifier. The sites polled above have the team facing Lipscomb, Wofford and Troy.
Lipscomb would be interesting because the team's best player, Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Jacob Ognacevic, hails from Sheboygan, and he's not the only Wisconsin connection on the team. Wofford also has a Wisconsinite on the roster in Brillion's Jeremy Lorenz, and the programs have met before in the NCAA Tournament in 2010.
Other schools to keep an eye on in that range include High Point, Utah Valley and Yale, though the latter two must win their conference tournament to participate.
Obviously, all eyes are on Milwaukee. Among the teams ranked ahead of Wisconsin in the 1-68 list of programs admitted to the NCAA tournament, UW will hope that no more than one program gets geographically assigned to Milwaukee so there's still one more vacancy when we get to Wisconsin on the list.
The next closest venues are Cleveland and Lexington, Kentucky, though the latter will almost certainly be full up on account of its placement as a geographically friendly venue for some of the best teams in the field. Cleveland, which stands to receive Michigan State and perhaps Kentucky itself, is also likely to be off the table.
If Wisconsin doesn't get a spot in Milwaukee, the spots that seem most likely for UW are Providence, Denver or Seattle.
The men's bracket will be slowly unveiled starting at 5 p.m. Sunday on CBS and the women's bracket will get unveiled at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin March Madness bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA tournament
Continue reading...
Here's what to know about UW on the cusp of learning its NCAA tournament fate:
The basics on Wisconsin men's basketball
- Coach:Greg Gard (10th season)
- Record: 26-8 (13-7 in Big Ten)
- Record in last 10: 7-3
- Best wins in 2024-25: vs. No. 9 Arizona on Nov. 15, 103-88; vs. No. 7 Purdue on Feb. 15, 94-84; vs. No. 7 Michigan State on March 15, 77-74.
- Puzzling loss in 2024:-25 vs. Penn State on March 8, 86-75.
- Place in ratings systems: KenPom, No. 11; T-Rank, No. 12; Associated Press poll, No. 18
- Leading scorers: John Tonje, 19.5 ppg; John Blackwell, 15.4 ppg; Steven Crowl, 9.8 ppg
- Last time in NCAA Tournament: 2024 (No. 5 seed), lost first-round game to James Madison.
- Last time making second weekend: 2017 (lost to Florida in Sweet 16)
- Final Four appearances: 2015 (national runner-up); 2014 (lost in national semifinal); 2000 (lost in national semifinal); 1941 (national champion)
You must be registered for see images attach
The big question: Will Wisconsin get to play in Milwaukee?
For a while, it looked like a lock that the Badgers would get the right to play in Milwaukee for first- and second-round games, but then came late-season losses at home to Oregon and especially Penn State, a team that had nothing to play for and nonetheless ruined the Badgers' Senior Day. Wisconsin will still be on the fringe of earning the right to play at Fiserv Forum, just as they did in 2022. Then again, that team lost in the second round even before the home crowd and didn't replicate the magic of the 2014 run. And, if the Badgers haven't had success in recent games in Madison, does it matter if they play in Milwaukee?
Where do NCAA bracket predictions place Wisconsin?
As of March 15, Jerry Palm of CBS, Joe Lunardi of ESPN and USA TODAY all project Wisconsin as a No. 3 seed and playing in Milwaukee.
Who are potential opponents in the first round?
If Wisconsin settles in as a 3 or 4 seed, it's almost certainly going to get a mid-major automatic qualifier. The sites polled above have the team facing Lipscomb, Wofford and Troy.
Lipscomb would be interesting because the team's best player, Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Jacob Ognacevic, hails from Sheboygan, and he's not the only Wisconsin connection on the team. Wofford also has a Wisconsinite on the roster in Brillion's Jeremy Lorenz, and the programs have met before in the NCAA Tournament in 2010.
Other schools to keep an eye on in that range include High Point, Utah Valley and Yale, though the latter two must win their conference tournament to participate.
Where will Wisconsin play its first-round NCAA tournament game?
Obviously, all eyes are on Milwaukee. Among the teams ranked ahead of Wisconsin in the 1-68 list of programs admitted to the NCAA tournament, UW will hope that no more than one program gets geographically assigned to Milwaukee so there's still one more vacancy when we get to Wisconsin on the list.
The next closest venues are Cleveland and Lexington, Kentucky, though the latter will almost certainly be full up on account of its placement as a geographically friendly venue for some of the best teams in the field. Cleveland, which stands to receive Michigan State and perhaps Kentucky itself, is also likely to be off the table.
If Wisconsin doesn't get a spot in Milwaukee, the spots that seem most likely for UW are Providence, Denver or Seattle.
When will we know Wisconsin's first-round destination for sure?
The men's bracket will be slowly unveiled starting at 5 p.m. Sunday on CBS and the women's bracket will get unveiled at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin March Madness bracket predictions for 2025 NCAA tournament
Continue reading...
