Five teams the Wisconsin Badgers could face in the NCAA Tournament first round

CHICAGO - The University of Wisconsin now awaits its fate.

Ranked No.19 in Wins Above Bubble, No.22 in KenPom and KPI, and No.25 in the NCAA NET rankings, the Badgers know they will hear their name called when the NCAA Tournament brackets start to be released this evening at 5 p.m.

It's quite the turnaround from where the Badgers stood as the calendar turned to 2026. Wisconsin played the first two months of the season, registering no Quad-1 wins, zero nonconference wins against the Top 75 of the NCAA NET rankings, and sitting No.64 in the NET after being blown out in its two toughest games.

Since losing to No.5 Purdue at the Kohl Center, the Badgers have earned eight Quad-1 wins, four Quad-2 wins, and have gone 4-1 in games in Quad 3/4.

With a Quad-2 win over Washington, a Quad-1 win over Illinois, and nearly knocking off No.3 Michigan for a second time this season, the Badgers are now potentially looking at a five seed or, at worst, a six seed.

Here are five teams the Badgers could potentially see next to them in tonight's bracket reveal.

Might need to bring a☔️#GoZips🦘 pic.twitter.com/nrENFFyNNu
— Akron Zips MBB (@ZipsMBB) March 15, 2026

Akron (29-5)

Benefited by Miami (OH) stunning upset in the MAC Tournament opener, the Zips knocked off Toledo, 79-76, in the MAC title game to three-peat as the conference's tournament champions. Led by former Illinois head coach John Groce, the Zips rank in the top five in 16 different categories in the MAC, including first in made threes and free throw percentage, second in scoring offense and scoring margin.

Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.3) and assists (5.0). Amani Lyles is the top rebounder (8.1). Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (1.7) and blocks (26).

The Zips are 0-4 against the top two quadrants this season, including an 18-point loss at Purdue in the nonconference.

Dynasty behavior😎#GeauxPokes | #BayouBandits pic.twitter.com/8c7d00v5IF
— McNeese Men’s Basketball (@McNeeseMBB) March 14, 2026

McNeese (28-5)

McNeese is one of just eight teams in Division I with 28 or more wins, and its .848 winning percentage is tied as the sixth-best in the nation. The current 10-game winning streak is the fourth-longest in the country, pushing the Cowboys’ record to 56-5 against the Southland Conference over the last three years.

Under the guidance of current N.C. State coach Will Wade, McNeese was a No.12 seed in each of the last two years and knocked off fifth-seed Clemson last season for the school's first tournament victory.

McNeese hired Wade's assistant at LSU, Bill Armstrong, and the program retained a lot of its top players from last year's NCAA squad. Southland Player of the Year Javohn Garcia returned for a third season with DJ Richards Jr. Garcia was named the tournament MVP for the second straight year after sinking 31 points in the championship game. Richards Jr. is ranked sixth all-time in three-pointers made and second in career 3-point field goal percentage.

Scoring 577 points this season, Larry Johnson was named the league's Freshman of the Year, earned first-team all-conference honors, and broke NBA Hall of Famer Joe Dumars' 44-year-old freshman scoring record.

Let us dance. #RiseUpRedHawks pic.twitter.com/jEj3B7wysJ
— Miami Athletics (@MiamiRedHawks) March 15, 2026

Miami (OH) (31-1)

The RedHawks were the fifth men's Division I program this century to go undefeated during the regular season, but their worthiness is being debated once again following their Quad-4 loss to UMass in their opening game of the MAC Tournament.

Miami ranks among the top of the nation in numerous statistical categories heading into its conference tournament game, which includes being first in field goal percentage (52.6), second in the country in effective field goal percentage (0.613), second in scoring offense (90.9), seventh in scoring margin (16.0), and ninth in three-point percentage (39.3). Those stats came against a NET strength of schedule ranked No. 339 nationally.

Miami had been playing with fire for several weeks with three consecutive one-possession games entering the postseason, and eight on the season. Results-based metrics have Miami's average standing in the low 30s entering the MAC Tournament, which lines up with a No. 9 seed.

The predictive metrics that measure on-court efficiency adjusted for opponent aren't as favorable (low 90s), meaning the Redhawks could fall toward the Badgers, as a 30-win team has never been left out of the tournament.

N.C. State (20-13)

The Wolfpack lost six of their final seven games of the regular season and went 1-1 in the ACC Tournament. However, Coach Will Wade's group finished 10-8 in the conference, and that, combined with the Wolfpack's overall record, should be enough in a year with such a weak bubble.

Senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin has shot over 50 percent in every game except for three this season and entered the postseason leading the ACC and ranking third in the NCAA with his 68.4 shooting percentage.

Senior Quadir Copeland was named to the All-ACC Third Team and averaged career bests in points (13.7), assists (6.6), steals (1.8), field goal percentage (49.6%), three-point percentage (40.4%), and assist-turnover ratio (2.60) during the regular season. Copeland is just the third ACC player in the last 30 seasons to have 200+ assists & 400+ points in one season.

NC State has made double-digit three-pointers in 15 of 33 games this season. The Pack entered the ACC Tournament ranked third in the ACC and 27th in the NCAA with 10.3 three-pointers made per game.

UCF (21-11)

The Golden Knights finished .500 in the loaded Big 12 and beat three ranked teams (#17 Kansas, #11 Texas Tech, and at #19 BYU) along the way, tied for the most in a season in school history. UCF is one of 34 Division I teams with five or more Quad 1 wins. The Knights are one of 35 teams with at least 10 total quad 1 and quad 2 wins.

Themus Fulks (6.7 apg) ranks second in the Big 12 and 10th nationally, accounting for 37.4% of UCF’s scoring (946 points responsible for). He’s one of two Big 12 players with at least seven 10+ assist games.

Jamichael Stillwell has eight double-doubles and ranks third in the Big 12 in offensive rebounds (3.23/g). UCF is 18-1 when winning the rebounding battle.

The Knights rank 33rd nationally at 36.8 percent from three. UCF has hit 50 percent of its threes in six games this season but was 3-for-21 in its Big 12 Tournament loss to No.2 Arizona.