Last month, ESPN’s bracketologist Joe Lunardi ranked the Wisconsin Badgers as aninth seed in an early prediction for the 2027 NCAA tournament. They were also one of four teams given the “Last Four Byes”. While Wisconsin tends to be underranked by these brackologists, there are some concerns for next season. Star point guard Nick Boyd exhausted his eligibility, and John Blackwell transferred to Duke. However, they did receive major news when Nolan Winter announced his return to the Badgers for next season.
On Thursday, the NCAA announced the expansion of March Madness from 68 teams to 76 teams. Did that help the Badgers in Lunardi’s newest preseason NCAA tournament predictions?
Not exactly.
ESPN’s Joe Lunardi gives Wisconsin an eighth seed in the 2027 NCAA tournament
Lunardi still placed the Badgers in the dreaded 8-9 matchup, this time facing off with Michael Malone and the ninth-seed North Carolina Tar Heels. If, and that’s a big if, the Badgers were to meet the Tar Heels, it would be their first matchup since the 2021 NCAA tournament, also an 8-9 matchup. That game was best remembered for Brad Davison’s 29 points and Roy Williams ' announcement ofhis retirement after the season.
Lunardi has 12 Big Ten teams in his Thursday projection, with 2026 Final Four teams Illinois and Michigan holding number one seeds. Curiously, Lunardi had the Indiana Hoosiers as a seventh-seed ahead of Wisconsin. Perhaps it’s a tradition at this point to give Indiana preseason hype before the college basketball season.
Now, how much stock should Badger fans put into these early bracket projections? Not much, if any. With another set of new faces to join the Badgers, Greg Gard has another opportunity to prove some national doubters wrong and earn a seed higher than eight in March Madness. In addition, with the NCAA expanding to 76 teams next season, the Badgers have more opportunities for a March Madness seed than ever before.
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