The immediate reaction to the Wisconsin Badgers No. 5 seed draw for the NCAA Tournament was a collective groan. Some even remind other Badger fans that Wisconsin gets screwed by the selection committee every year. Having to play the No. 12 High Point Panthers one of the hottest teams in the country, potentially (with a win) followed by the No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks a team that just won the SEC Tournament. Followed by (if Wisconsin keeps winning) a match with No. 1 Arizona, one of the best teams in the country.
That seems rough on paper, but it actually works out in Wisconsin's favor in two major ways. The first is that each of these three teams plays a style of basketball that helps the Badgers. The second is that Wisconsin functions best with a need to "prove themselves."
Wisconsin will be taking on multiple high-octane offenses if they can keep winning
High Point is 4th in scoring nationally. They average 90 points a game and can score from every level. They love to push the ball up and down the court. Wisconsin loves that style and will relish in this tempo, and on paper, they are the better team, meaning they can play it even better than the Panthers.
Arkansas is the 3rd team in scoring nationally with 90.10 points per game. That's right, the Badgers have to take on the No. 3 and 4 scoring teams back-to-back (if they win the first round). However, once again, it's positioned to be a barnburner, and Wisconsin thrives in that environment.
Arizona also loves to push the ball and score in bunches. The Wildcats are 14th in the nation in scoring at 86.10 points per game. If Wisconsin can get that far, they are poised to have three games back-to-back-to-back with 80 and maybe even 90+ points per game for both teams.
This is great news for the Badgers as they are undefeated when they score more than 80 points in a game. The fast-paced, high scoring offense, plays right into the strength of the Badgers.
Secondly, Wisconsin plays up to their competition; the Badgers have to believe they can be beaten for them to play their best. Each game, Wisconsin will have doubters. Clark Kellogg even started it during the selection show when he mentioned Wisconsin is already on upset alert with High Point.
Wisconsin absolutely plays better with that sort of energy. Nick Boyd, John Blackwell, and company need to juice. Whether it's a road team or a top-15 matchup, they have to go in with the energy and the underdog mentality. That's the secret sauce this season.