Emeka Okafor names Wisconsin a potential sleeper to deep in the NCAA Tournament

Emeka Okafor joined CBS Sports to talk about the West Region of the NCAA Bracket and when Wisconsin became the topic of conversation. Okafor had a lot to say, pegging the Badgers as a dark horse to even make it to the Final Four. He went so far as to compare them to a Tom Izzo-style March Madness team.

Okafor said, "If you told me Wisconsin ends up being a Final Four team, it wouldn't surprise me. This year reminds me of a Michigan State/Tom Izzo team, where you can never quite count them out." Okafor continued to explain how tough and impressive the Badgers can be, "They beat them all, once you've done it, you believe in yourself. The tournament is all about confidence and swag, and Wisconsin has a lot of that."

Wisconsin is deemed as one of the biggest threats to Arizona in the West Region

Related: John Blackwell has a confident Wisconsin statement ahead of the NCAA Tournament

Wisconsin has a tough draw to start the tournament, facing a high-octane High Point team, followed by a potential round against Arkansas. Another team that likes to score with one of the country's better guards, Darius Acuff. If the Badgers were somehow able to get through those two games, they would potentially see No. 1 Arizona.

That game is being circled by many as a potential upset for the Badgers. Some pundits in the above CBS sports segment even went so far as to say that either Arkansas or Wisconsin could give Arizona a scare. The team that makes it out of that game may be the biggest chance to see the No. 1 Wildcats knocked off.

The Badgers won't be daunted by any opponent, as, in their minds, they've hung with and beat the best of the best. There will be confidence, but also awareness of how small a margin it is to lose to a team that comes out and plays harder and with more togetherness.

Wisconsin starts the tournament with High Point on Thursday at 12:50pm CT on TBS.