The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team drew the No. 3 seed in the East Region of the NCAA March Madness Tournament and will face off against No. 14 seed Montana on March 20.
Their seeding demonstrates the team’s strength showcased this season. But a high rank also comes with immense pressure.
After losing to Michigan and finishing as the runner-ups in the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday, Wisconsin looks ahead to March Madness.
Wisconsin is 3-0 against their first round opponent, Montana, in program history. On paper, the East region seems tougher than most this year. Duke is the No. 1 seed and is projected to win it all. On top of Duke, the Badgers will need to overcome opponents such as No. 2 Alabama and No. 4 Arizona in order to make a run. This means key players like John Tonje, John Blackwell and Carter Gilmore will need to continue to step up.
Now, what does the three-seed really mean for the Badgers?
The Badgers will have a distinct advantage over their lower-seeded teams in earlier rounds, which in theory should make these games easier. But this is March and anything can happen in this unpredictable tournament.
There may be more pressure for the Badgers to perform well with this high of a seed. Lower-ranked teams such as Montana are coming in with a “nothing to lose” and upset mentality, and therefore, the Badgers must keep focus. The Badgers have had early exits the last few years, and if they succeed past Montana, they will have the opportunity to clinch a Sweet Sixteen spot for the first time since 2017.
The pressure is heavy on the whole team and fanbase. Fans are banking on the Badgers’ success. If Wisconsin fails, fans may view this whole season as a disappointment despite the highs. The losses always hit harder than the wins.
The Badgers have heavily relied on their offense this season and really need it to radiate throughout the tournament. The Badgers can not have a “bad” game, as this tournament has no guaranteed outcomes.
But if they step up, the Badgers can go deep into March.
Although they lost the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers had back-to-back impressive wins against two top-ranked teams en route to 26 wins this season. The game against Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament came down to the wire, and the Badgers showed resilience, winning 77-74.
March Madness games have a pattern of coming down to the final seconds, and the Badgers have shown they are prepared for this. With senior presence from Tonje, Kamari McGee, Gilmore and Max Klesmit alongside head coach Greg Gard, the team is ready for this tournament.
