With March approaching, an impressive stretch of wins has the Wisconsin Badgers rising to a No. 7 seed in recent bracket predictions.
The Badgers, who reentered the AP top 25 last week, have hit a midseason stride, with major wins over then-No. 8 Illinois and No. 10 Michigan State earning them national recognition.
Throughout the college basketball season, experts called bracketologists track the season and predict how the 64 team NCAA Tournament bracket will unfold. Updated on a bi-weekly basis, these brackets offer a helpful look for where teams will be slated come March 15, Selection Sunday.
ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the Badgers slated as a No. 7 seed in his latest bracket. Fox Sports and CBS Sports also have the Badgers as a 7 seed.
Before victories over Illinois and Michigan State, the Badgers were stuck in the No. 9 seed position, where they would most likely meet a No. 1 seed in the second round.
Wisconsin still has four games remaining in the regular season before entering the Big Ten tournament. Their next game is against the Oregon Ducks on Wednesday, where the Badgers will look to build on an impressive 84-71 home win over Iowa on Sunday.
The Hawkeyes, who took down No. 9 Nebraska on Tuesday, came into Madison with momentum looking to replace Wisconsin’s No. 7 seed position. The Badgers squashed their chances with an important win, pushing the Badgers ahead in resume comparisons and a key head-to-head result.
With four games left on their schedule, Wisconsin still has opportunities to move up in the bracket.
After Wednesday’s matchup with Oregon, Wisconsin will stay in the Pacific Northwest to take on the Washington Huskies. Both teams sit near the bottom of the Big Ten standings, making for a pair of winnable games that Wisconsin cannot afford to lose.
The Badgers close out their home campaign against Maryland on March 4 and finish the regular season against No. 8 Purdue on March 7 in West Lafayette.
Even with a majority of the regular season completed, Wisconsin’s inconsistency throughout the season means they can still fluctuate in the final games of the season. It will be important for the Badgers to stay locked in to each of their remaining opponents as they fight for advantageous seeding in the NCAA tournament.
