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No. 12: WISCONSIN BADGERS
Last season: 22-13, 12-6 Big Ten
The Badgers return everyone of note from last year's Sweet 16 team. The trio of Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes and Ethan Happ does the bulk of the scoring, and Vitto Brown and Zak Showalter are vital to the success. These guys were playing to help get then-interim coach Greg Gard the permanent gig a year ago, and it worked. -- Jeff Goodman
Best case: Big Ten champs, Elite Eight. How ironic that this is more of a Bo Ryan team than the last Ryan-coached team. Greg Gard has gone back toward the swing days, and Wisconsin became a tougher out. Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes are the team leaders and among the best in the nation at their positions. The key will be the development of Ethan Happ, who could be a first-team All-Big Ten player.
Worst case: Early second-weekend casualty. The only thing that stops Wisconsin is quality guard play and depth. Everybody is back, but who steps forward to lead and make plays, especially in the backcourt? Zak Showalter has become a fine player for Wisconsin, but he and Koenig might not be enough scoring to reach a Final Four. Others need to step forward. If the past is any indication, they will.
