Win against Michigan lifts Wisconsin men's basketball's NCAA Tournament hopes

One player drives to the basket while being guarded by another player — Wisconsin Badgers forward Steven Crowl (41) drives to the basket under coverage on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, by Michigan Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson (1) during the second half at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.

By Todd D. Milewski / The Wisconsin State Journal

February 16, 2023 at 11:55 AM

MADISON — The bobbing up and down around the cut line for the NCAA Tournament continues for the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team.

One bracket expert who pushed the Badgers out of the field after last Saturday's loss at Nebraska said he'll have them back in after the team's Tuesday, Feb. 14 victory against Michigan.

ESPN's Joe Lunardi said during an interview on the network immediately following Tuesday's 64-59 UW victory that maybe there was too much of a downgrade after the earlier defeat, considering that Nebraska followed it up by winning at Rutgers.

"They're a tough nut to crack because they have a terrible NET ranking of 80 coming into this game but they have five Quad 1 wins. That number should be impossible," Lunardi said. "But we're going to move the Badgers in overnight. They'll be in the next bracket."

UW's NCAA Evaluation Tool ranking moved up to 77th after the Quad 2 victory against the Wolverines at the Kohl Center. Lunardi had the Badgers as one of the first four teams out of the bracket in a projection before Tuesday's game.

CBS Sports' Jerry Palm, meanwhile, still had UW in his bracket as one of the last four in and playing a First Four game in Dayton, Ohio, against Mississippi State.

Saturday's home game against Rutgers, which is 2-7 away from home, sets up as a Quad 1 contest for UW because the Scarlet Knights are 28th in the NET. The Badgers also have a Feb. 26 game at Michigan and a March 2 home game against No. 3 Purdue that as of now qualify as opportunities for Quad 1 wins because of the opponent's ranking.

"I do think Wisconsin will have enough good wins to get in the field," Lunardi said in the ESPN interview.

UW's resume

Through games of Feb. 14

Record: 15-10, 7-8 Big Ten (10th)
NET ranking: 77
Quad 1 record: 5-6
Quad 2 record: 4-4
Quad 3 record: 1-0
Quad 4 record: 5-0

Aaron Ferguson contributed to this story.

Visit The Wisconsin State Journal at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com .

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