The Wisconsin Badgers have been selected as a No. 5 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will begin their journey in Portland, Oregon, facing off against High Point in the opening round.
Despite a challenging start to the season that included significant losses to teams from power conferences, the Badgers managed to secure their spot in the tournament. Their success was bolstered by eight victories against Quad-1 opponents, a top-five finish in the Big Ten, and improved metrics that led to their No. 5 seed in the West Region.
The game is scheduled for Thursday, and the winner will advance to play either Arkansas, the No. 4 seed, or No. 13 seed Hawaii on Saturday. This marks the eighth tournament appearance in the last ten years under head coach Greg Gard and the 26th in the past 28 for the Badgers.
Currently, Wisconsin is ranked No. 19 in Wins Above Bubble, No. 22 in KenPom and KPI, and No. 25 in the NCAA NET rankings. This is a remarkable turnaround from the end of December, when they were placed at No. 64 in the NET rankings with no Quad-1 wins and no victories against teams in the Top 75.
Since a loss to No. 5 Purdue at the Kohl Center, the Badgers have secured victories against five teams ranked in the AP Top 15, with four of those wins coming against teams in the top 10 and all four being on the road. “This group is battle-tested, and I think they are hungry to make a deep run,” Gard commented. “We know we start with one game, but I couldn”t be prouder of how this group has developed together throughout the season, transforming into one of the better teams in the country.”
Gard”s statement was reinforced by Wisconsin”s performance in the recent Big Ten Tournament. Although they did not reach the championship game for the third consecutive year, they achieved notable wins against Washington and No. 9 Illinois in overtime, before narrowly falling to No. 3 Michigan on a last-second three-point shot by Yaxel Lendeborg, who was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.
Michigan head coach Dusty May acknowledged the challenge posed by the Badgers, stating, “When you have Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, you are a tough matchup for 364 teams in the country.”
Throughout their history, the Badgers have a record of 41-27 in 28 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 19-7 mark in the round of 64. Under Gard”s leadership, they have won at least one game in five of their seven tournament appearances, although they are 4-4 as the lower-seeded team and are eager to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2017.
Benjamin Worgull has been covering Wisconsin men”s basketball since 2004, contributing to various outlets including Rivals, USA Today, and the Associated Press.
