There’s nothing certain about where Wisconsin and Marquette will fall when the NCAA Tournament bracket is unveiled March 13, but if you ask top bracket-projections experts, there are a few recurring details. Namely, that Wisconsin is on track to be at least a No. 3 seed and almost certain to play its first two rounds in Milwaukee, and that Marquette is likely to be a No. 7 seeds.
BracketMatrix, a site that collects a large database of bracket projections around the web, sees Wisconsin as the final no. 3 seed heading into a crucial battle with Purdue at the Kohl Center on Tuesday, with Marquette as the third of four No. 7 seeds.
Here’s where some of the more prominent prognosticators have slotted local teams:
Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology slotted Wisconsin somewhere other than Milwaukee last week, but that’s changed in his March 1 projections, where the third-seeded Badgers are hosting 14th seed Texas State.
Speaking of Purdue, perhaps the Boilermakers will be lined up as Marquette’s second-round foe? That’s not an uncommon draw among bracket prognosticators, and that would be a tough battle in Indianapolis, just down Interstate 65, a little over an hour from West Lafayette.
Wisconsin: No. 3 seed vs. Texas State in Milwaukee (USC or Creighton in second round)
Marquette: No. 7 seed vs. San Francisco in Indianapolis (Purdue or Montana State in second round)
Not only is Wisconsin staying in its home state within this projection by Jerry Palm, but the Badgers are up to a no. 2 seeds. Marquette leaves the Midwest in this scenario.
Wisconsin: No. 2 seed vs. Long Beach State in Milwaukee (Iowa State or Davidson in second round)
Marquette: No. 7 seed vs. San Diego State in Fort Worth (Kansas or Montana State in second round)
Shelby Mast and Scott Gleeson see UW as a No. 3 seed in their home state, while Marquette is once again lined up to face Purdue if the Golden Eagles advance past an intriguing first-round challenge against Davidson.
Wisconsin: No. 3 seed vs. Towson in Milwaukee (USC or Miami in second round)
Marquette: No. 7 seed vs. Davidson in Indianapolis (Purdue or Texas State in second round)
USC seems to be a popular No. 6 seed to line up across from Wisconsin in the Milwaukee pod; we see it again here.
Wisconsin: No. 3 seed vs. Princeton in Milwaukee (USC or Wake Forest in second round)
Marquette: No. 7 seed vs. Miami in Fort Worth (Baylor or Jacksonville State in second round)
Bill Bender doesn’t indicate where he thinks each team will play, but he does see Wisconsin as the top No. 3 seed with a chance to move up a line by beating Purdue. Marquette is listed as the bottom no. 7 seeds.
Wisconsin: No. 3 seeds; 14 seeds are New Mexico State, Northern Iowa, Princeton, Liberty
Marquette: No. 7 seeds; 10 seeds are Xavier, Wake Forest, TCU and Davidson
In a bracket updated Monday morning, Rotowire is one of the few spots who’d place Wisconsin somewhere other than Milwaukee, with a no. 3 seed and battle in Indianapolis against Vermont (and Villanova and Texas Tech as three-seeds in Milwaukee instead). In this scenario, Marquette winds up facing the same program Wisconsin met in last year’s first round – North Carolina.
Wisconsin: No. 3 seed vs. Vermont in Indianapolis (Alabama or Notre Dame in second round)
Marquette: No. 7 seed vs. North Carolina in Indianapolis (Purdue or UNC-Wilmington in second round)
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.
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