Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard looks to the referee after a timeout Thursday, March 13, 2025, during the second round of the men's Big Ten tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 70-63. Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wisconsin Badgers losing ground in ESPN's way-too-early 2025-26 bracketology

Originally posted on Wisconsin Badgers on SI
By Lorin Cox | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 7:14 PM ET

The Wisconsin Badgers exceeded expectations last season when John Tonje led the team to the Big Ten Championship Game and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi doesn't see them repeating quite the same success.

He updated his way-too-early predictions for March Madness in 2026, and he dropped the Badgers down to a No. 7 seed in the Midwest region.

They would play No. 10 seed Ole Miss in the first round, and if they advance, they would play the winner of No. 2 seed UConn against No. 15 Siena of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference.

In the same region, Lunardi has rival Illinois as a No. 4 seed.

Wisconsin's postseason push will fall on the shoulders of John Blackwell taking over the lead scoring role, along with a group of key transfers with a lot of potential to open up the offense.

Greg Gard has had a knack for maximizing the talent on his roster and over-performing based on preseason expectations.

His roster will be a little overlooked again this season, and he is in a good position to surprise some people again in 2026.