Where Wisconsin stands in March Madness bracketology before Big Ten Tournament

The Wisconsin men’s basketball team continues to improve its NCAA Tournament resume ahead of Sunday’s Selection Game.

The Badgers’ last quality win came on March 7 against Purdue, which was ranked No. 14 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll and is currently No. 10 in the NCAA NET rankings.

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It’s their eighth straight quadruple win of the season, tying last year’s number of wins at Selection Sunday. (However, this number may fluctuate as opponents move further up the NET rankings.)

Wisconsin has a chance to further aid its recovery in the Big Ten Tournament. The first game will be March 12 against the winner of Washington or USC. A win there would pit the fifth-seeded Badgers against fourth-seeded Illinois.

Here’s what’s in store for Wisconsin in its March Madness bracket predictions ahead of the conference championship game at the United Center in Chicago:

Where are the Wisconsin March Madness bracket predictions?

USA Today’s March 10 bracket projections have Wisconsin as the No. 5 seed. The Badgers will face projected Conference USA division champion South Florida in the first round. They will then face either fourth-seeded Alabama or 13th-seeded High Point in Greenville, South Carolina.

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ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Wisconsin as the No. 6 seed in his bracket predictions for the night of March 9. The Badgers will face either Santa Clara or SMU in the first round in St. Louis. They will then face either third-seeded Iowa State or 14th-seeded Wright State in the second round.

CBS Sports’ March 9 bracket update shows Wisconsin, the No. 6 seed, will face the winner of one of its first four games. The Badgers will then face Iowa State in the second round.

Where does Wisconsin rank in the NET?

After college basketball play ends on March 9, Wisconsin is ranked No. 26 in the NET. That’s up from No. 32 a week ago.

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Wisconsin ranks seventh in the Big Ten behind Michigan (No. 2), Illinois (No. 5), Purdue (No. 10), Michigan State (No. 11), Nebraska (No. 12) and Iowa State (No. 25).

Here are the quadrant-by-quadrant records for Wisconsin:

How can Wisconsin help its NCAA tournament resume in the Big Ten Tournament?

Wisconsin’s first game in the Big Ten Tournament will be March 12 against the winner of Washington or USC. Any possible opponent will be treated as an opportunity for a Four Square 2 on a neutral site. (Washington is ranked No. 61 in the NET and USC is No. 77.) With Wisconsin already having 31 games on its resume, the outcome of that game seems unlikely to change in either direction.

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Wisconsin’s quarterfinal opponent will be fourth-seeded Illinois, which will be considered a quarterfinal game. A win there, or in any subsequent round, would more than likely help the Badgers win Sunday’s Selection Round.

However, predicting the NCAA tournament field is ultimately just a prediction and far from an exact science. The Badgers will have to wait until March 15 at 5 p.m. to find out exactly where they will stand in the 68-team tournament.

This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Badgers March Madness predictions ahead of Big Ten tournament