The Wisconsin Badgers are back in the projected Bracketology after their recent five-game win streak. They initially jumped off the bubble to a No. 10 seed after their win over UCLA. They bumped up to a No. 9 seed following the win on the road over Michigan and later climbed to a No. 8 seed after back-to-back wins over Maryland and Rutgers.
But, following their recent 73-71 loss to USC, the Badgers have dropped back to the 10-line in ESPN Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket. They’re currently at the top
of the No. 10 seed line as one of the “Last Four Byes” alongside Ohio State, UCLA, and Miami, and one of the last eight in.
Lunardi has them as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region as a result, facing the No. 7 Kentucky Wildcats in the first round, which would be a wild start to the tournament.
Currently, Wisconsin is ranked No. 41 in NET, losing its first Quad 2 game as it fell to USC at home. They’re 1-5 in Quad 1 games (only win is Michigan), 5-1 in Quad 2 games, and 8-0 in Quad 3/4 games. As of now, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan State, Purdue, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio State are all higher than the Badgers in NET.
Racking up more of those Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins will certainly help Wisconsin’s bracket projections, and there are opportunities for that. Wisconsin faces Ohio State at home this weekend as a part of a three-game home stand before a brutal trip that includes back-to-back road games at Indiana and Illinois before home contests against Michigan State and Ohio State. That five-game stretch could either be big or a rough blow for the Badgers.
After that, Iowa (home) and Purdue (road) are the two big matchups to consider for the Badgers down the stretch to impress the committee. But for now, they’re in the field as one of the last eight teams with an opportunity to make some ground with a win over Minnesota on Tuesday.
