Could the Wisconsin basketball team make a run at the National Championship?
After a disastrous start to the 2015-16 season, the Wisconsin basketball team is making waves on a seven-game win streak, and is back in the picture for post-season play. Could the Badgers make a run at the National Championship like the UConn Huskies did as a No. 7 seed in 2014?
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That’s the question posed by USA Today, who identified the 2015-16 Wisconsin basketball team as one of three teams on the bubble who could make a run at a championship season.
It would be truly amazing if the Badgers could get back to the National Championship after their run last year, especially considering the talent that recently left the program.
With the likes of Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker, Josh Gasser, Traevon Jackson and Duje Dukan all departing for the NBA or otherwise, not many people had high hopes for the 2015-16 Wisconsin basketball team.
Wisconsin Badgers
Most expected a rebuilding year, and for the most part, that’s what 2015-16 looked like. Add in Bo Ryan’s mid-season retirement, and plenty of people wrote the Badgers off. They looked justified in doing so, especially after a 1-4 start to Big Ten play.
Then came a January 17 matchup with No. 4 overall Michigan State, and a Badgers win, 77-76 over the visiting Spartans, that no one expected. That win sparked a seven-game winning streak, and all of a sudden the Badgers are not only back in the NCAA Tournament conversation, but also the Big Ten Conference Championship conversation.
The Badgers went from a 1-4 Big Ten record to 8-4 in conference play, and with several games left on the schedule find themselves 2.5 games out of first place. The Badgers are also back in range of the AP Top 25, and are now once again included in various bracketology predictions.
Their win last Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins added a second top-5 win to their tournament resume, and they still have two top-10 opponents (Iowa and Michigan State) and a top 20 opponent (Purdue) left on the schedule.
Wisconsin has looked rejuvenated under interim coach Greg Gard, and has added unlikely production – the rise of Vitto Brown and strong bench play – to the constants like Nigel Hayes. Much was expected out of Ethan Happ‘s first year on the court, and he has taken home three Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors on the year.
This Badgers team certainly shouldn’t start thinking about making a run at the National Championship. They’ve still got work to do in the regular season to even ensure they have a ticket to the big dance.
But if the Badgers can stay hot, hot like the team we saw dismantle Maryland in one of the toughest road atmospheres in college basketball, there’s no question this group of Badgers has what it takes to upset a few teams down the road and make an impressive run.
Next: Vitto Brown Playing at Career-Best Pace
Stay tuned to Badger of Honor for more coverage of the Wisconsin basketball team.