The Wisconsin Badgers had another disappointing finish to a season when they fell 83-82 in the final seconds against the High Point Panthers on Thursday. Following a promising year with four top-15 wins, the Badgers were riding hot heading into the NCAA Tournament, but their poor postseason luck continued with a loss in the final seconds to the No. 12 seed in the West Region.
Now, head coach Greg Gard and his staff must return to the drawing board, seeing their March journey come to an end early once
again.
Wisconsin has failed to make it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017 after doing so in the first two years of the Gard era. They have earned some strong seeds, getting No. 5, No. 9, No. 3, No. 5, No. 3, and No. 5 seeds in the years they’ve made the tournament since.
But, in those six appearances, they’ve now lost in the first round three times and the second round three times, with a number of talented teams coming in and out of Madison. Over the past two years, Wisconsin may have had its best teams of the Gard era, with last year’s squad being one of the best analytically, while this year’s team has had one of the best resumes of top wins in the country.
That has made the losses in the tournament sting even more, especially for a coaching staff that has continued to overachieve during the regular season before facing some tough moments in March Madness.
Overall, where does this Badgers loss rank among the recent losses in the NCAA Tournament?
For reference, as a No. 5 seed in 2019, the Badgers were a first-round exit, losing 72-54 to the No. 12 seed Oregon Ducks in the first round. In 2021, Wisconsin beat North Carolina in the 8-9 game before losing 76-63 to the eventual champion Baylor Bears in the second round. In 2022, after a first-round win over Colgate, the Johnny Davis-led Badgers were upset by No. 11 Iowa State 54-49 in the second round, derailing another promising season.
Of course, we know about the last three losses, which have all been quite brutal for the Badgers. Wisconsin fell flat in the first round back in 2023, losing 73-61 to the No. 12 James Madison Dukes back in 2023 that left a locker room filled with upperclassmen heartbroken.
Last year, the Badgers had arguably their best season under Gard, but drew a difficult draw as the No. 3 seed and fell just short in a 91-89 loss to the No. 6 BYU Cougars in the Round of 32. Then comes this year’s High Point loss.
Where does this Badgers loss rank among all the recent ones in program history? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
