Wisconsin men's basketball learns NCAA Tournament seed and first-round opponent
Wisconsin draws High Point in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with the Badgers set to face the Panthers on Thursday in Portland.
The Wisconsin men’s basketball program is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the 28th time.
Following a run to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, Greg Gard and the No. 23 Badgers learned their postseason fate on Sunday during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show. Wisconsin (24-10) will open its March Madness run against 14-seed High Point on Thursday in Portland, Oregon.
For Gard’s team, the opportunity to keep playing in March comes on the heels of a week where the Badgers once again showed that they can compete with just about anyone, knocking off Washington and Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament before falling to No. 3 Michigan in the semifinals.
“This week will be good for us,” Gard said. “We’ll get healthy, get some rest, and get ready for next week. This group is battle-tested, and I think it’s hungry to make a deep run.”
High Point (30-4) enters the NCAA Tournament riding plenty of momentum.
The Panthers, who won both the Big South Conference regular season and tournament titles, have won 14 straight games, the longest active winning streak in the country, and will arrive in Portland after putting together one of the most successful seasons in program history under head coach Flynn Klayman.
According to KenPom, High Point ranks No. 92 nationally overall, with the nation’s No. 66 adjusted offensive efficiency and the No. 161 rated defense. The Panthers also play at a fast pace, ranking 49th nationally in tempo, and they take care of the basketball exceptionally well, sitting 15th in the country in turnover percentage.
They also bring experience.
High Point ranks 36th nationally in Division I experience and features several veterans who have played key roles throughout their 30-win campaign. That combination of scoring ability, experience, and ball security has helped fuel the Panthers’ late-season surge heading into the NCAA Tournament.
The matchup presents an interesting contrast in styles.
Wisconsin has built its success this season around one of the nation’s most efficient offenses, powered by the backcourt duo of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. The Badgers enter the tournament with an impressive résumé that at one point included a stretch of five consecutive wins over AP Top 25 opponents.
Gard’s team has also proven throughout the year that it can win in a variety of ways. Wisconsin finished the regular season ranked 11th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency while taking excellent care of the basketball, sitting third in the country in turnover percentage.
At the same time, the Badgers have leaned heavily on their perimeter attack, with 42.5% of their shot attempts coming from beyond the arc, the fourth-highest rate in Division I. In many ways, this is a team that will live and die by the three. The good news for Wisconsin is that it has shooters all over the floor and a supporting cast capable of spacing defenses, even if the offense ultimately rises and falls with its perimeter shooting.
That versatility showed up again during the Big Ten Tournament. More importantly, the Badgers appear to be trending in the right direction on both ends of the floor at the right time.
Wisconsin enters the NCAA Tournament playing some of its best basketball of the season. The Badgers have won 10 of their last 14 games entering the big dance while also piling up 15 wins over KenPom top-100 opponents on the year.
With key pieces like Nolan Winter and potentially even Jack Janicki expected to return to the rotation, Gard and his staff are hoping to make it back to the tournament’s second weekend for the first time since the 2017 season.
The path forward won’t be easy — it never is this time of year.
High Point arrives confident and red-hot, bringing a fast-paced offense and a veteran roster full of scorers that has shown it knows how to close games during its 14-game winning streak.
But Wisconsin enters the tournament battle-tested.
The Badgers have already proven they can compete with elite teams, and they’ve shown the kind of resilience and scoring punch that can make them dangerous in a one-and-done format.
Now comes the part that defines March.
Wisconsin will tip off against High Point on Thursday in Portland, with the game broadcast nationally as the Badgers begin their pursuit of a deep NCAA Tournament run. College basketball nirvana has arrived.
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