Wisconsin excited for "special" opportunity after 2019-20 season cut short

Despite failing to pick up much, if any, momentum, and finishing the season losing five of its final seven games, Wisconsin heard its name called Sunday evening for a date with North Carolina on Friday night in the Round of 64.

The berth represents UW's 21st trip in to the NCAA tournament in the last 22 years, and a return to the big dance after a special 2019-2020 season ended abruptly with a Big Ten title.

"Not having that opportunity last year has made this opportunity so much more special," senior guard Brad Davison said shortly after the bracket was announced. "Obviously it looks a little different with us being in a hotel all week and currently quarantined in a hotel room, but just to have this opportunity, I know, I am so thankful and so appreciative to be in the situation that we're in. It's been a long time coming."

The NCAA tournament will go on as scheduled this season but the world isn't quite back to normal, making for an unusual lead up to Friday evening. Wisconsin arrived in Indianapolis this past Wednesday for the Big Ten tournament and after being eliminated Friday, switched rooms so that the team could all be on the same floor, a UW official detailed. The selection show was followed by a meeting with NCAA officials, testing, a quarantine period, then back for testing and a second quarantine until results cleared the group for team activities.

"I trust the guys. We're just looking at this as an opportunity to go in the history books for something different and this is an opportunity to do it. I got my video games all set, I am ready for this quarantine," senior guard D'Mitrik Trice said. "Whatever is thrown our way, I think the guys are ready for it."

"I'm a big reader so I've got a few different books that I'm going to be reading and I've got some homework to catch up on," Davison added. "I didn't do as much homework as I should have done during the Big Ten tournament, so I am going to be reading books, FaceTiming my family and friends back home and then start watching some film on UNC."

After entering the regular season ranked No. 7 in the AP Poll and jumping to as high as No. 4, Wisconsin crawled to the finish line, either falling or staying put for the final nine weeks. Though the results may not be evident in the form of wins, the Badgers feel they are playing their best ball.

"I think defensively we've stepped up in a lot of areas and gotten stops when we needed them. Offensive numbers have jumped through different players at different times and the overall camaraderie has been at an all-time high for the team this season," Trice said. "I think that's going to carry us in these next few games that we got and hopefully we can take it on to Friday and move on to Sunday. But playing for one another has definitely been one of our strengths the last couple of weeks.

"I think that we're clicking at the right time. We just are right there with a lot of these top top-tier teams. And if we can click on all cylinders for 40 minutes, I think that we're gonna be really tough to beat, no matter who we're playing."

The NCAA tournament represents a welcomed opportunity and a meeting with an opponent outside of the Big Ten.

"Every season is full of its unique ups and downs and hills and valleys that I like to call them," Davison said. "We obviously had a lot of success last year and didn't get this opportunity to play in March, play in the Big Ten tournament and play in the NCAA tournament, so that's what we're excited about.

"We're excited to have the opportunity to have a clean slate and looking forward to playing UNC."