Can the Badgers get out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament?
The Wisconsin Badgers are heading to Denver to face the Montana Grizzlies, with tip-off scheduled for 12:30 p.m. central at Ball Arena on Thursday.
Wisconsin, drawing the No. 12 overall seed and the No. 3 seed in the East Region, have a quick turnaround, as they last played in the Big Ten Championship Game on Sunday, where they lost 59-53 to the Michigan Wolverines.
The Badgers have a great matchup against Montana, though, as they’re seen as 17.5-point favorites ahead of tip-off, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Wisconsin’s goals stretch past the first round, however, as they’re looking to extend their stay in the NCAA Tournament into the second weekend for the first time since 2017.
The Badgers arguably have their most talented team since the 2014-15 group that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and marched their way to the National Championship Game in 2015.
But, can they play to expectations and make the Sweet Sixteen in 2025?
In our national reacts poll, the Badgers were polled as an overwhelming favorite to make the Sweet Sixteen, earning 63 percent of national votes.
Behind them, No. 6 seed BYU earned 26 percent of the votes, while No. 11 VCU earned 10 percent of the votes.
I’ve outlined why the Badgers should have no problem getting past Montana in the first round, given the matchup. But, they’ll have an intriguing second-round matchup with either BYU or VCU, who play two very different styles of basketball.
BYU is an offense-oriented team, ranking No. 11 in KenPom offensively, while being above-average defensively at No. 68. VCU, on the other hand, has a strong defense which ranks No. 23 in KenPom, and a solid offense that is a respectable No. 41 in adjusted offensive efficiency.
The Badgers do still match up well with both teams, given their size and ability on both sides of the court, which is why it makes sense that they’re an overwhelming favorite to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
Advancing past the first two rounds would set up a potential matchup with the No. 2-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide, who would be a tough test for the Badgers.
Regardless of what happens there, the season would be a success if the Badgers were to get that far. But, they’ve got to reverse recent history and make the most of their first two games in order to get that far.