Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Bracketology Guide: March 5th

Published

3 weeks ago

March 5, 2023

Wisconsin basketball plays the Minnesota Golden Gophers today in a game with massive NCAA Tournament implications for the Badgers. Simply put, if Greg Gard and co. want to play in the Tournament, this is a must-win game. Depending on who you ask, Wisconsin either needs to simply avoid disaster to get into the Big Dance or win today plus a bit more in the Big Ten Tournament.

Sunday's game at Minnesota is as close as it gets to a must-win regular season game for the #Badgers now. #MarchMadness #BubbleWatch https://t.co/zBUsByAdTR

— Kedrick Stumbris (@KedrickStumbris) March 3, 2023

Is Wisconsin Basketball in the NCAA Tournament?

32 of the 60 bracketologists on Bracket Matrix have Wisconsin in the field. 1-3-1 Sports, DRatings, and HoopsHD are the three highest-rated predictors, according to Bracket Matrix, with brackets updated for March 5th. Each of them has Wisconsin as one of the first four teams out of the field.

Even Though Wisconsin did not play yesterday, plenty of games took place that shaped the NCAA Tournament bubble. It was a mixed bag of results, some helpful for the Badgers’ tournament chances and others unhelpful.

The good for Wisconsin basketball:

Nevada fell at home to its in-state rival UNLV 69-67 – its second Quadrant 3 loss. Nevada now finds itself in a precarious position as one of the last four teams in. The Wolfpack’s next game will be in the second round of the Mountain West Tournament against San Jose State – a game it will need to win to feel good about its chances on Selection Sunday.
Pitt had an opportunity to clinch the top seed in the ACC Tournament at Miami but fell to the Hurricanes 78-76. The Panthers slipped all the way to fifth in the ACC with the loss and to one of the last four teams avoiding a trip to the First Four in Dayton. Pitt will now have to play Florida State or Georgia Tech in its first ACC Tournament game – a must-win matchup as the Panthers hope to avoid a third loss outside the first two Quadrants.

Duke completed its season sweep of North Carolina with a 62-57 victory denying the Tar Heels a much-needed Quad 1 win. UNC now enters postseason play with only one Quad 1 victory (which it is barely holding onto as Virginia is right on the cutoff in the NET rankings to still count toward Q1). North Carolina’s best-case scenario appears to be sneaking in as one of the last four teams in the tournament, but some bracketologists do not believe UNC has the resume for even that yet. The Tar Heels will need to win at least two games (over Boston College/Lousiville, then Virginia) in the ACC Tournament – and maybe then some – to secure their spot.

North Carolina misses an opportunity for a HUGE win over Duke as the Tar Heels lose at home 62-57.

UNC on the bubble of the NCAAs, but heading to the ACC tournament with only one Quad 1 win in the season. In a weak ACC, not many Q1 wins available in the tournament. #MarchMadness

— Kedrick Stumbris (@KedrickStumbris) March 5, 2023

The bad for Wisconsin basketball:

West Virginia defeated Kansas State 89-81 in a game that never felt that close down the stretch. The victory likely secures the Mountaineers’ spot in the Big Dance. WVU now has six Quad 1 wins with no losses outside the first two quadrants.

Auburn likely locked itself into the NCAA Tournament after pulling away late to secure a 79-70 victory over Tennessee. The Tigers now have 20 wins on the season, including three Quad 1 wins.
Oklahoma State has a resume very similar to Wisconsin’s. Both teams have six Quad 1 wins and just one Quad 3 loss. The Cowboys are 17-14 after a 71-68 victory at Texas Tech yesterday, and the Badgers are attempting to get their 17th win today. Much like the UW, some believe OSU is in the Tournament field, and some do not. While Oklahoma State’s win yesterday did not secure its spot in the Tournament, a loss would have taken them out of contention.

Only two teams have ever received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament with '15 losses ('17 Vanderbilt and '18 'Bama)

Oklahoma State (17-14) just avoided disaster with a 71 – 68 victory at Texas Tech. #MarchMadness

— Kedrick Stumbris (@KedrickStumbris) March 5, 2023

Florida Atlantic defeated Louisiana Tech 76-72 to complete its regular season with a 28-3 record. Bracktologists now have FAU firmly in the NCAAs, regardless of whether or not it wins the Conference USA Tournament. If FAU does not win its conference tournament, one fewer spot will remain for the Badgers to secure an at-large bid. 25-6 North Texas and 23-8 UAB are both candidates to win the CUSA and steal a bid.

NCAA Tournament Bubble Games Today

Although not as many as yesterday, many bubble teams are playing today. In addition to beating Minnesota, Wisconsin will want to see some other games around the bubble go its way for resume comparison’s sake.

Memphis Tigers vs Houston Cougars – 11:00 AM CST on CBS

Jim Nantz is on the call for his alma mater, Houston, ahead of his final NCAA Tournament. Memphis is on the tournament bubble, but would likely lock its spot in with a win over likely number-one seed Houston.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs Maryland Terrapins – 11:00 AM on Big Ten Network

Penn State is in a spot similar to Wisconsin, one of the first four teams out of the field. Only 15 of 59 bracketologists at Bracket Matrix have the Nittany Lions in the field right now. Although a loss to Maryland would not be disastrous, PSU is running out of chances for quality wins.

Michigan Wolverines at Indiana Hoosiers – 3:30 PM on CBS

Michigan is also running out of chances for quality wins following its 2OT loss to Illinois. A loss today at Indiana would be the Wolverines’ 14th of the regular season. As regular readers of our bracketology guide know, that might be enough to end Michigan’s at-large hopes.

It's critical to the #Badgers NCAA Tournament chances to win one of their remaining regular season matchups. If UW loses both, it would end up with 15 losses – unless it wins the B1G tournament

Only two 15-loss teams have ever made the NCAA tournament. '17 Vandy & '18 'Bama.

— Kedrick Stumbris (@KedrickStumbris) March 1, 2023

Charleston Cougars vs Stony Brook Seawolves in the Colonial Athletic Association Quarterfinals – 5:00 PM on FloHoops

Charleston is the second team of Cougars that Badger fans should be cheering for today. The Cougars (28-3) are close to being an at-large team if they fail to win the CAA Tournament. Wisconsin basketball fans should hope Charleston wins its conference tournament so that a debate between at-large candidates Charleston and Wisconsin is unnecessary.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights vs Northwestern Wildcats – 6:30 PM on Big Ten Network

After a devastating, buzzer-beating loss at Minnesota, Rutgers finds itself on the bubble. Although the Scarlet Knights are not in trouble quite yet, they would prefer a win on senior night to right the ship before the Big Ten Tournament.

Contact Info

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Kedrick Stumbris on Twitter @KedrickStumbris

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Roundup: Frontcourt Transfer Portal Targets

Published

13 hours ago

March 25, 2023

Dillon Graff

Oct 12, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, US; Wisconsin Badgers men's head coach Greg Gard speaks to the media during the Big Ten Basketball Media Days at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have been active in the early stages of the offseason, reaching out to numerous transfer options, particularly in the frontcourt.

Wisconsin had a severe lack of depth among post options in 2022-23 following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfers).

Unable to land a viable option in the portal last offseason, the Badgers were forced to make do with former walk-on Carter Gilmore as its top forward off the bench and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges to fill in whenever necessary.

Senior forward Tyler Wahl has yet to decide if he’ll exercise his COVID year and return for a fifth season in Madison (I think he will), which could leave the cupboards awfully thin if he chooses to pursue a pro career.

With the roster lacking any proven options behind him, there is a significant need to bring in at least one experienced frontcourt option that can immediately slot into minutes for the Wisconsin basketball program.

Here is an early list of some notable players Wisconsin has contacted this offseason.

Payton Sparks (6-foot-9 forward; Ball State)

National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks, who recently entered the transfer portal.

Notre Dame, Arkansas, Florida, Butler, Ohio State, and others are involved.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field.

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

John Hugley (6-foot-9 forward; Pittsburgh)

Perhaps the most notable frontcourt target of the Wisconsin basketball program, Pittsburgh transfer forward John Hugley, who Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported the Badgers expressed interest in.

UW, Michigan, Oregon, Miami, Rutgers, Xavier, Arkansas, LSU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, Butler, Georgia, and several others are also involved.

The 6-foot-9, 265-pound forward played eight games this past season before deciding to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on his mental health.

In 2021-22 however, he led the Panthers in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and 7.9 rebounds on 47.1% shooting en route to All-ACC honorable mention honors.

Hugley has up to three years of eligibility remaining.

Dame Adelekun (6-foot-8 forward; Dartmouth)

The first frontcourt player Wisconsin basketball reached out to was Dartmouth forward Dame Adelekun, according to a report from Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.

Arkansas, Ohio State, Wichita State, Boise State, Clemson, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Loyola Chicago, and several others are also in the mix.

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 56.3% shooting from the field this past season.

Adelekun has up to two years of eligibility remaining.

Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Connected to Ball State Transfer

Published

4 days ago

March 22, 2023

Dillon Graff

Wisconsin Men's Basketball target Payton Sparks.

Ball State men's basketball sophomore center Payton Sparks smirks after turning over the ball during a game against Indiana University South Bend at Worthen Arena Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Ball State won 86-72

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff have recently checked in on a MAC big man that entered the transfer portal.

Earlier this week, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play at the highest level of college basketball,” Sparks said in the Twitter post. “With that being said, I feel like it’s in my best interest to chase my dream and enter the transfer portal. There will always be a place in my heart that is Ball State!”

Along with UW, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Utah, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Dayton, Arkansas, Iowa State, Loyola Chicago, Florida, Butler, LSU, Georgetown, Ohio State, and several other schools expressed interest in Sparks.

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field.

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Why Payton Sparks Makes Sense for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball

Dating back to the last offseason, Wisconsin men’s basketball had a clear need in its frontcourt following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfer).

However, UW never found a good fit in the portal and instead relied on former walk-on Carter Gilmore as his backup “big man” and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges.

Coach Gard has already made it abundantly clear that he knows what his team needs and intends to fix this glaring hole going into 2023-24.

I expect the Badgers to be heavy players in the portal as they pursue options to improve their front-court.

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Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball in Contact with 2023 Recruit, New Transfer Target, More

Published

5 days ago

March 21, 2023

Dillon Graff

Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Continuing to Keep Tabs on 2023 Forward

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program might be open to a late addition in the 2023 recruiting class.

After de-committing from Notre Dame in late January, top 150 prospect Brady Dunlap is back on the market, and Wisconsin is one of the schools that expressed interest in the sharpshooting forward, along with Villanova, Seton Hall, Oregon, UCLA, TCU, Saint Mary’s, and Butler.

Arguably the top unsigned prospect in his class, Dunlap is the No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 22 player in California, according to the 247Sports composite.

Recruiting News: Brady Dunlap tells ESPN he has committed to Mike Brey and Notre Dame. The 6’7” Dunlap is no.82 in the ESPN 100. Ideal fit, as Dunlap is a major jumper shooter, with terrific size and basketball IQ. @11Bradyd @NDmbb @NDMikeBrey @SCNext pic.twitter.com/yZre7de4un

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) September 23, 2022

Although the Badgers would seem to have no available scholarships, already holding commitments from four-star big man Gus Yalden and three-star prospects Nolan Winter and John Blackwell, a source indicated that Wisconsin has been enamored with Dunlap for quite some time and felt the need to kick the tires.

With plenty of roster changes expected to occur once the season concludes, it’ll be interesting to see if UW tries to make a real run at a talented late addition to its class.

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Showing Interest in AAC Transfer Guard

Speaking of players that Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with, add a high-scoring combo guard from the AAC into the mix.

Last week, Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported that Wisconsin was among the teams that expressed interest in Temlple transfer guard Khalif Battle.

Along with UW, there is plenty of suitors for Battle because Villanova, Arkansas, Arizona, Ohio State, Memphis, Florida, USC, UCLA, and several other schools have also reached out.

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard appeared in 27 games, starting eight, and led the Owls in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals on 41% shooting from the field.

The former four-star recruit has up to two years of eligibility remaining.

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Well, it finally happened; St. Thomas leading-scorer, freshman guard Andrew Rohde has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.

pic.twitter.com/fyWjTvOnq6

— Andrew Rohde (@andrewrohde10) March 20, 2023

The Milwaukee native averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season en route to becoming the Summit League Freshman of the Year.

There were rumblings throughout the season that Greg Gard and company would make Rohde a high priority if he became available — and now that he is, Wisconsin will undoubtedly make a serious play for his services.

Rohde would fill an immediate long/short-term need within the Wisconsin basketball program as a wing with the ideal size to play the “3” that can score the rock and has three years of eligibility remaining.

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