Mailbag: Wisconsin basketball’s NCAA Tournament expectations, the X-factors, and keys to a Sweet 16 run
How much should Wisconsin’s regular season matter if they have an early exit? Plus, the Badgers X-factors and what must happen to reach the Sweet 16.
The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program enters the NCAA Tournament at 24–10, earning a No. 5 seed in the West Region, and is set to begin its run against 12-seed High Point (30-4) in Portland.
The appearance also adds to the program’s remarkable run of consistency. Wisconsin is making its 29th trip to the Big Dance and is one of just five schools to appear in 25 of the last 27 NCAA Tournaments.
It marks the third straight trip and the eighth under head coach Greg Gard, whose teams have quietly remained among the most reliable postseason qualifiers in college basketball since he took over in 2016.
“One thing you’re always mindful of is not taking this day for granted,” Gard said. “I know it’s become commonplace here, but it’s not commonplace everywhere. This doesn’t happen easily, and it doesn’t happen by accident.
“There’s a lot of people, a lot of time, and a lot of effort that go into it, and a lot of people have their fingerprints on it. To be able to do this consistently over the past quarter-century is amazing. It’s a credit to all the players, coaches, and support staff who have had their hands in it. I just don’t want to take it for granted because it’s not easy to accomplish.”
With March Madness here, the questions naturally start rolling in.
How much should the regular season matter if a team exits early? Who might be Wisconsin’s X-factor if the Badgers make a run? And what ultimately has to happen for this group to reach the second weekend?
Let’s get into it.
Q: If Wisconsin were to lose early in the NCAA Tournament, would that erase what this team accomplished during the regular season?
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