Joe Lunardi's new bracketology for next year's tournament is out, and it's not very high on the Wisconsin Badgers. Lunardi has the Badgers listed as a No.9 seed and one of the "Last Four Byes." It's a bit of a dig at Wisconsin, but it's also a yearly tradition at this point.
The Wisconsin Badgers have settled into a nice little rhythm over the last few seasons. It has no one really believe in them, surprise people during the season, lose major players in the offseason, have no one really believe in them, surprise people... You get the idea. Well, Wisconsin is fully in the "no one really believes in them" part of the season. It's understandable, Greg Gard always adds underrated players in the portal, but loses top-rated players to either eligibility or the transfer portal.
Last season, it was John Tonje, Steven Crowl, and Kamari McGee. This year, it's Nick Boyd and John Blackwell. However, the players coming in almost feel underwhelming to the national pundits. Yet, lately we've seen some faith in Gard, but it's always tempered with lower expectations.
Joe Lunardi has Wisconsin as one of the last four byes in next year's NCAA Tournament
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This time, Joe Lunardi doesn't know what to do with the Badgers; their additions, while seemingly helpful, aren't "WOW" like other teams. Which Gard does the yearly "underrated" additions. So, there's trepidation with the rankings. Yet, Lunardi, as well as other pundits, know that the Badgers consistently make the tournament with whatever roster is out there.
Gard has proven he can get a team to the tournament year after year. That's pushed the ESPN bracketologist to give them a spot, even if it's one of the last four byes.
What's the spot? It's a No. 9 spot against No. 8 Auburn in the South (San Antonio) Region. The first game would be in Charlotte, North Carolina. It's all just projections for now, but it's interesting to watch a yearly ritual play out for the Badgers.
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