Reminiscent of Wisconsin’s loss to James Madison in 2024, the Badgers collapsed yet again in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to High Point 83-82. The loss is Wisconsin’s third first-round defeat in their last six tournament appearances, making it nine years since the Badgers last saw the Sweet Sixteen.
The Badgers came out as expected, dominating the smaller Panthers inside and kicking the ball to the perimeter. Just 4:13 into the game, Wisconsin led 15-5, but failed to account for High Point’s potent offense, which averaged over 90 points per game this season.
While Wisconsin continued to make shots, their attack was not heavily reliant on the 3-pointer. They shot just 14 deep balls in the first half, making six of them, while attempting to overpower the Panthers inside. That strategy looked questionable by half, as they were outscored 18-14 in the paint. On the other hand, High Point shot mostly from behind the arc, going just 6-for-23 in the first.
John Blackwell continued to dominate offensively, much like he had throughout the Big Ten tournament. The junior scored a game high 20 points in the opening half, leading Wisconsin to a 41-39 advantage going into the break.
But in the second half, Blackwell scored only one field goal. Each time the Badgers tried to pull away, High Point had an answer, keeping the Wisconsin lead within manageable distance the entire period. With Blackwell dormant on offense, Nick Boyd stepped up, scoring 20 of his 27 points in the second. His layup with 7:08 to go gave the Badgers an eight-point lead.
Then, after both teams went scoreless for over two minutes, Chase Johnston, High Point’s eventual hero, erupted in a performance that will painfully linger for Wisconsin fans.
The graduate student, who’s drawn comparisons to and an endorsement from recent March Madness hero Jack Gohlke for his lethal 3-point shooting, pulled up from the logo, draining a deep 3 to cut the lead to five. Terry Anderson scored the Panthers’ next five points, cutting the lead to two with just under four minutes to go. He finished the game with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Boyd took it upon himself to finish the game for the Badgers, scoring eight of Wisconsin’s final 10 points as he relentlessly attacked the left side of the rim. The teams went back and forth down the stretch. Johnston hit two more seemingly-impossible 3s, one of which cut Wisconsin’s lead to 82-81 with 55 seconds left.
Boyd had the game in his hands twice in the final minute but unlike other times this year, failed to convert. On the first possession, Boyd’s shot caromed into the hands of High Point’s leading scorer Rob Martin, who lobbed it to Johnston in transition for his first 2-pointer of the season to give the Panthers the lead with 11 seconds remaining. All 68 of his previous field goals came from 3-point range.
Down one with a chance to win the game, Boyd’s layup attempt was blocked by Owen Aquino. A final fullcourt pass from Andrew Rohde fell incomplete, and the upset ensued.
Much of High Point’s success can be attributed to their rebounding numbers. They outrebounded Wisconsin 13-6 offensively and 40-37 overall, giving their stellar offense second chance opportunities to score. The Panthers also outpaced the Badgers, scoring 16 fastbreak points to Wisconsin’s five.
The Badgers shot just 23 3-pointers, the second fewest this season. No player shot more than two 3s in the final period. But offense wasn’t the issue. Wisconsin entered the big dance 21-0 in games scoring more than 80 points this season. Thursday proved to be the outlier.
Going into the offseason, the Badgers roster will likely look entirely different. Head coach Greg Gard will have to once again look to the transfer portal to retool, with Boyd, Rohde, Braeden Carrington and Issac Gard all departing as seniors. Blackwell and Nolan Winter aren’t guaranteed to return as Badgers either. Meanwhile, Austin Rapp indicated after the game that he intends to come back. For now, Wisconsin will watch on as the Madness continues without them.
