While the season is just three games deep, the NCAA Bracketology has already begun and the Wisconsin Badgers have been included.
Currently, the Badgers are considered to be a “First four out” school along with Iowa, San Diego State, and UCF. The Badgers have started the season 3-0 after defeating Holy Cross, Montana State, and App State in Madison. However, Wisconsin has a tough road ahead and while the analyst are confident in the team nearing the tournament, time will tell whether or not the Badgers will even be in a position to be considered.
The Wisconsin Badgers must play Arizona, Marquette, Rutgers, Ohio State, Indiana, and Purdue this season, all of whom are ranked. Along with the tough ranked match-ups, Wisconsin also plays UCF, Illinois (twice), and Iowa (twice) who all have hopes of an extended season.
First the Wisconsin Badgers will have to make it through Arizona and UCF before really considering whether or not the team has what it takes moving forward. Wisconsin has been losing at some point in all three games this season by multiple possessions, which is something that cannot happen against better competition moving forward. Both the Wildcats and the Knights are two teams also fighting to play big basketball in March, which is why those games will be crucial for Wisconsin to discover where they are.
Can the Wisconsin Badgers Sneak Into the 2024 NCAA March Madness Tournament?
While the Wisconsin Badgers might not be considered a “tournament team” at the moment, if some games go in their favor that certainly could change.
Starting with the elephant in the room, the Wisconsin Badgers will need some convincing wins over better competition. Wisconsin is still figuring things out and that is expected after quite a bit of turnover occurred this offseason in Madison. The Badgers will need to figure things out quickly against a tough Arizona team that can really run up the score.
The Wildcats are not only the earliest test for the Wisconsin Badgers but arguably the most complete test due to the composition of the team. Arizona is a team expecting a deep run this March, and if Wisconsin belongs in the tournament then they need to at least compete with the Wildcats. Wisconsin is currently just a six-point underdog against the Wildcats, which means the sports books are predicting a rather close game between the two.
While many Wisconsin Badgers fans may fear a blowout is coming due to the inconsistency of the team, the game could prove to have a different outcome.
The next real test for Wisconsin is actually going to come against UCF, another team in a very similar position to the Badgers. UCF upset Texas A&M early this season to prove just how talented the team can be, but then nearly lost to FAU in tremendous fashion. UCF has perhaps the toughest conference schedule this season playing twice against Iowa State and also facing Arizona, Houston, Cincinnati, Baylor, and Kansas.
UCF will be a different situation for the Wisconsin Badgers, however, as a win over the Knights is needed to prove Wisconsin can hang with solid competition.
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