The No. 3 seed in the East Region Wisconsin Badgers(26-9) are preparing to take on the No. 14 seed Montana Grizzlies(25-9) in the 1st Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. These teams will face off Thursday afternoon in Denver, Colorado. The Badgers are looking to rebound from a disappointing exit in the 1st Round of last year’s tournament. As a No. 5 seed, they were clipped by James Madison.
This is Montana’s first time in the NCAA Tournament since 2019. These teams faced off in the 2012 NCAA Tournament with the Badgers winning 73-49. Will the Grizzlies be able to keep this matchup close and shock Wisconsin?
Wisconsin Season Summary
It was a strong regular season for the Badgers. They got hot in the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Final. Unfortunately, they lost a close game to the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday. The Badgers had a middling offense this season. They are 45th in points per game, 151st in field goal percentage, and 130th in three-point percentage.
The team’s defense has also been mediocre. They are 133rd in points allowed, 54th in opposing field goal percentage, and 139th in opposing three-point percentage. Wisconsin’s best player is Guard John Tonje. He is 38th in the nation in points per game. Tonje averaged over 22 points per game in the Big Ten Tournament. He will look to keep it going in the NCAA Tournament.
Montana Season Summary
The Grizzlies dominated the Big Sky Conference in the regular season and rolled in the conference tournament. Montana had a strong offense this year. They are 95th in points per game, second in the nation in field goal percentage, and 71st in three-point percentage.
The team has not been good on defense. They are 212th in points allowed, 272nd in opposing field goal percentage, and 124th in opposing three-point percentage. Montana had four players average 10+ points this year. Guard Money Williams leads the team with 13.3 points per game. Even though he struggled in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, he has been integral to the team in their success.
Final Thoughts
Wisconsin will have its hands full trying to contain Montana’s high-flying offense. The Badgers are a hard-nosed defensive team and will need to play well on that end of the floor to win. Wisconsin must also get better production from their offense to stave off an upset. They should be able to do so because Montana has struggled when stepping up in competition. They are 1-6 in Quad 1 and 2. Expect the Badgers to survive in a shootout.
