Can Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Still Go Dancing?

Madison, WI. – It’s been an up-and-down year for the Wisconsin men’s basketball program. Currently sitting at 16-11 with an 8-9 conference record, the Badgers are dangerously close to missing the NCAA Tournament.

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According to Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology, UW is listed as the “last team in,” leaving virtually no room for error as Wisconsin fights to get a tournament bid. With three games left, the Badgers need to notch some wins to remain in control of their tournament destiny.

Let’s look at how UW got here and how they can go dancing this season.

How did the Wisconsin men’s basketball program get here?

Wisconsin men’s basketball was firing on all cylinders at the start of the season, starting 3-0 before heading to the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. The Badgers returned to Madison with a 2-1 record in the tournament, falling to Kansas in overtime in the final seconds.

UW dropped their first game after returning from the Bahamas to Wake Forest. However, they got back up on the horse, winning six straight games with notable victories over Marquette, Maryland, and Iowa. The Badgers were 10-2 heading into January, but suddenly, the wheels started to fall off for Wisconsin.

After the New Year, the Badgers began to lose in streaks. They secured a win over Minnesota before dropping three straight to Illinois, Michigan State, and Indiana. They would then defeat Penn State but subsequently lose three straight games to Northwestern, Maryland, and Illinois. Sprinkle in a few more losses, and the Badgers NCAA Tournament hopes were fading even more. Altogether, Wisconsin has posted a record of 6-9 since the beginning of the New Year.

This season did not shape up to be how many people predicted in the first half of the year. Time is running out for UW, but they still control their tournament destiny.

Can Wisconsin men’s basketball still go dancing?

The Badgers have three games remaining. They’ll head to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan before returning to the Kohl Center to take on No. 5 Purdue. They’ll wrap up the regular season against the Minnesota Golden Gophers on March 5th.

With UW being on the fringe of making the tournament, they’ll need to win at least two of their remaining games. The Badgers will have more favorable matchups against Michigan and Minnesota, both teams that they’ve already beaten this season. The matchup against Purdue will be extremely tough, but it will be the last game of the regular season at the Kohl Center, and a large crowd turnout could help their chances.

Looking beyond the regular season, the Badgers will play in the Big Ten Tournament. UW is slated as a ten-seed, giving them a less-than-favorable matchup against a top team. However, if Wisconsin can steal a win in the tournament and some regular season wins, Wisconsin can sneak into the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin’s margin for error is nearly zero. A loss, or multiple losses, to close the regular season will be detrimental to tournament hopes. Although time is running out, the Badgers control their destiny, and that’s all you can ask for.

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