The Badgers cannot let history repeat itself this week.
The Wisconsin Badgers are set to take on the Montana Grizzlies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, with tip-off set for 12:30 p.m. central in Denver, Colorado.
The Badgers are coming off a strong week at the Big Ten Tournament, accumulating wins over the Northwestern Wildcats, UCLA Bruins, and the Michigan State Spartans on consecutive days.
But, just as they did in 2024, Wisconsin bowed out in a close game in the Big Ten Championship to the Michigan Wolverines, ending their weekend on a sour note.
Now, Wisconsin cannot let history repeat itself with another early exit in the NCAA Tournament. Metrics-wise, this Badgers team is the best since the vaunted 2015 group that got a No. 1 seed and went all the way to the NCAA Championship Game.
However, Wisconsin has been plagued by early exits in each of their last four tournaments, making it past the first weekend last in 2017, when they fell in the Sweet Sixteen on a buzzer-beater to the Florida Gators.
This year, they have as good a chance as they’ve had in recent years with a very favorable matchup against Montana and a winnable game over either the BYU Cougars or VCU Rams awaiting in the second round.
Consistency was an issue late for the Badgers, as they went 2-3 in their final five regular season games, but they’re hoping that a strong Big Ten Tournament run can fuel them going forward in the NCAAs.
So, who is under the most pressure for the Badgers entering the NCAA Tournament?
While it’d be tough to say a player, star guard John Tonje is coming off his worst game of the season, shooting just 1/14 in the loss to Michigan. But, he seemed fatigued after playing three games in three days, so the rest will hopefully serve as a reset for him and the remainder of the team.
But ultimately, the most pressure falls on head coach Greg Gard, who has done an amazing job this season leading this Badgers team to their most wins since the team that went to the Sweet Sixteen.
An early-round exit would once again leave a sour taste in fans’ mouths heading into the offseason after such a good season, raising the same questions of whether Wisconsin can show up in March for another year.
Wisconsin can quiet those concerns with a trip to the Sweet Sixteen. But, the pressure is on.