Best and worst potential March Madness matchups for Wisconsin basketball

Selection Sunday is nearly upon us, and with it, at long last, an official March Madness bracket.

Wisconsin has proven to be both outside the nation's truly elite teams but also capable of playing with — and beating — any of them.

Still, in a single elimination, neutral court tournament, it's all about the matchups. The Badgers could run into a team perfectly equipped to exploit their weaknesses, or draw a program with which they match up seamlessly.

Thus, here's a breakdown of the best and worst draws for Wisconsin when the bracket drops Sunday evening:

Best matchups for Wisconsin

McNeese State

McNeese has rolled on in life without head coach Will Wade, and new skipper Bill Armstrong has the Cowboys back in the big dance after winning the Southland Conference Tournament with a sparkling 28-5 record. Still, this would be an excellent draw for Wisconsin.

McNeese doesn't shoot the ball particularly well (300th nationally in three-point percentage, 137th in two-point percentage), so you're not too worries about them having an outlier three-point barrage game. Their calling card is defense, especially their ability to force turnovers, ranking tops in the nation in that category. But the Badgers are elite at taking care of the ball; they rank third nationally in offensive turnover percentage.

McNeese is also a smaller team, and their starting center Jerrell Colbert averages just 5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds. Wisconsin should be worried about teams with strong frontcourts, but that's not something the Cowboys can hang their hat on.

Akron

The Zips are certainly red-hot, having won nine straight (pre MAC Tournament final) with just two losses since the calendar flipped to 2026. Nonetheless, they've lost every game they've played to a legitimate team (0-5 against teams ranked 145 or higher on KenPom) and their metrics outside of shooting don't strike fear.

The Zips are a top-10 team in three-point percentage, which is certainly scary. But they don't rebound particularly well and they don't get to the free-throw line, meaning if those long-range shots stop falling, the offense could easily grind to a halt. They also don't deploy a player taller than 6-foot-9, and rank 350th in the country in terms of average height.

Akron has had a memorable season, but on paper, Wisconsin has the clear advantage.

Queens

The Royals are simply one of the worst defensive teams in the country, with an adjusted defensive efficiency rating that checks in at 322nd nationally. They don't do anything well on that end of the court, and that's not hyperbole.

Queens is a good shooting team, but they don't have a star player on the roster you're worried about catching fire in a tournament setting. Wisconsin's high-flying offense would have a field day against the Royals; they'd simply be outgunned.

Worst matchups for Wisconsin

Yale

Yale still needs to win its conference tournament, but should they make the dance, no one wants to see this team in March. The Bulldogs shoot the lights out, especially from downtown. Yale hits an even 40.0 percent of its three-pointers.

What's more, Yale isn't a massive team, but they do boast the kind of length that can give Wisconsin's offense trouble in the paint; only one starter is shorter than 6-foot-6. The Badgers' lack of a post-up game to settle their offense could become painfully evident against a team full of lanky wings who can all shoot the three.

Missouri

Missouri looks to be in pretty good shape for an at-large bid, though they may need to play in Dayton. Still, should they win a play-in game, the Tigers are equipped to cause all kinds of problems.

With Missouri, there's several concering metrics. The Tigers are top-40 nationally in effective field goal percentage, two-point percentage, offensive rebounding percentage and experience. They're the third-tallest team in the country by average height. Oh, and they navigated a perilous SEC schedule and emerged with a winning record, toppling teams like Florida, Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

Missouri is a battle-tested team, and it also has a star forward in Mark Mitchell (18.3 points per game) that could make life miserable for Wisconsin down low.

South Florida

The Bulls appear to have low odds at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, meaning they'll need to take care of business in Sunday's American Conference title game to clinch an auto-bid. Still, if they cut down the nets, they could be a dangerous first-round opponent.

A few numbers make you nervous about South Florida. It's an excellent offensive rebounding team, ranking sixth nationally in that category. It also boasts the third-shortest two-point attempt distance, meaning the Bulls get to the rim offensively, an area where Wisconsin hasn't been the best at defending. What's more, South Florida has won 10 straight games (ahead of the American Conference Tournament title game) — any team that hot is a terrifying proposition in March.