The Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the High Point Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, with tip-off slated for 12:50 p.m. CT at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
Following a quality week at the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers earned a No. 5 seed in the West Region and the No. 20 seed overall in the tournament, which gave them a draw with No. 12 High Point, who went 30-4 this season and won the Big South.
Wisconsin is one of the most dangerous teams in the country with wins over the Michigan Wolverines, Illinois Fighting Illini (2x), Purdue Boilermakers, UCLA Bruins, and more, netting eight total Quad 1 victories.
A big part of that success has been the success of guard duo John Blackwell and Nick Boyd, who both earned All-Big Ten honors as the leaders of the team. With an offense predicated on three-point shooting, the Badgers are scoring the third most points per game in program history.
But they face another prolific offense when they take on High Point on Thursday, as the Panthers average 90 points per game. High Point’s key is its pace, as the Panthers rank in the top 50 in KenPom’s tempo.
With their ability to score, many have picked High Point as a classic 5-12 upset, but the Badgers will certainly pose a tough challenge with their size, shooting, and overall matchup.
Heading into the game, the Badgers are seen as 10.5-point favorites, with the over/under being at 162.5 points.
Can the Badgers avoid the classic 5-12 upset and move on to the next round of the NCAA Tournament. Join us as our game thread is officially open!
