Wisconsin Basketball: Bracketology resume breakdown for the Badgers

How do the Badgers perform on the eye test?

Let’s be real: Wisconsin has not looked very good over the past few weeks. After starting the season 10-2 and climbing up in the top-15 of the AP poll, the Badgers have stumbled greatly. In summary, Wisconsin has dropped four of its last five games and the offense has looked ugly while doing it. Most notably, the team has been absolutely dreadful in the first half of games (14 points vs. Minnesota, 15 vs. Maryland).

With this said, the Badgers have clearly failed the eye test on several occasions over the past few weeks. There are several factors that have gone into this but, at the core, the offense just isn’t very good when Happ struggles and/or shooters are not hitting. This has led to the Badgers’ fanbase crumbling a bit as panic has set in regarding the poor play of late.

As already mentioned, though, fans should not worry about missing the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers boast great computer numbers and the bubble is quite weak this year due to down seasons by the Big East and the Pac-12. Because of this, it is reasonable to think that it would take a prolonged collapse for Wisconsin to miss the Big Dance. And while this is possible, it is hard to imagine a scenario in which the Badgers do not finish close to .500 in conference play (currently 3-3).

Still, it is also possible that this team is just in a rut and we, as fans, know they can be extremely dangerous when hitting on all cylinders. Ethan Happ is clearly one of the best players in the country and demands a double-team from just about every opponent on the schedule. Additionally, he is a superb passer who can rack up assists if his supporting cast, most notably D’Mitrik Trice, knocks down 3-pointers.