The Wisconsin Badgers currently have a 22-13 record before the NCAA Tournament begins. Wisconsin will draw the James Madison Dukes in the first round on Friday night in Brooklyn, New York. The Badgers are a five seed in the big dance and the Dukes are a 12 seed.
Head coach Greg Gard has received backlash from the fanbase throughout the course of the season. They were ranked as high as six at one point during the season before they hit a slump. After the BIG10 Tournament, they appear to be in a better spot now than they were entering it.
CBS Sports Matt Norlander Ranks the Wisconsin Badgers at 22 Entering the NCAA Tournament
A lot of people are curious about the rankings of each and every college basketball team before the tournament begins. CBS Sports Matt Norlander wrote about why the Badgers are ranked 22nd entering the tournament by saying:
“The Badgers have come back to life after suffering a brutal swoon in which they were 3-7 from Feb. 1 through March 10. But a return to form in the Big Ten Tournament showed why Wisconsin has the coaching and roster to be a factor in this tournament. AJ Storr has been a tremendous transfer (via St. John’s) and leads the team at 16.7 points per game. He’s flanked by Chucky Hepburn, a veteran Badger who is the glue on a roster that mostly goes six-deep.”
Storr during the regular season averaged 16.9 PPG for Wisconsin. During the BIG10 Tournament, scored a total of 90 points and averaged 22.5 points per game in that span. The game that got people’s attention was when he scored 30 points against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Steven Crowl averaged 11.2 points per game for Wisconsin and Tyler Wahl also averaged 10.8 points per game for the Badgers. Wisconsin has been very good offensively this season and they need to play with energy on defense in the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers could lose in the First Round or they can make a deep run.
