It’s Time for March Madness

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Photo by Tim Czerniakowski

UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena

UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena (2026)

March is a month filled with compelling narratives in the world of college basketball. Over a few short weeks, dreams will come true for a handful of athletes, coaches, and fans across the country. For others, the month will only bring heartbreak; painful reminders of what could have been.

Who will etch their name in March Madness lore? The Shepherd Express dissects the NCAA Tournament field and highlights the local stories to track this March.

Underwhelming Seasons for Milwaukee Squads

Relationships. Growth. Victory. That is the central motto of head coach Shaka Smart’s Marquette program.

After four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, Smart looked to continue this momentum even with the graduation of All-American Kam Jones. Yet a roster guided by up-and-coming guard Chase Ross failed to demonstrate any of Smart’s core tenets.

A lack of development from returners and the absence of incoming transfers have led to what will likely be Marquette’s first losing season since 1998-99. Adding to the anguish was the dismissal of promising sophomore Zaide Lowery following an altercation with assistant coach Cody Hatt.

Only a miraculous Big East Tournament Championship will earn the Golden Eagles a March Madness berth.

This season has also been disappointing for the Milwaukee Panthers, as the preseason Horizon League favorites have seen injuries decimate their squad. With three senior starters out for the season, the Panthers have rapidly dropped in the Horizon League standings following a promising 3-0 league start.

Rotating player availability created a unique challenge for Milwaukee head coach Bart Lundy. “We’ve had this group for about two weeks now,” Lundy said after a Jan. 30 defeat to Wright State. “It sounds weird to say that, but we’ve had so many different teams. These guys are learning to play as a group. If we can keep this group [together], we’ll continue to get better, and we’ll be dangerous at the end.”

Local Intrigue

Despite struggles from Milwaukee squads, there are still compelling storylines for local college basketball fans.

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic has developed into an outstanding scorer. The Pewaukee product with a Dirk Nowitzki-esque game is the Division I leader in three-point makes and percentage as his Cyclones push for a #1 seed.

At Tulsa, Sheboygan native Miles Barnstable has the American Athletic Conference leaders in position for their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade. The former UW-Whitewater star is an explosive scorer who has seamlessly transitioned to D1 basketball.

Contenders and Upset Potential

Last season, all four number-one seeds reached the Final Four for the first time since 2008. This year, the gap between the elites and the rest of the field is much closer thanks to a phenomenal freshman class.

Highly touted first-years Cameron Boozer (Duke), AJ Dybansta (BYU), and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) are the consensus top three picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. But concerns remain about whether they have the supporting casts to make deep tournament runs.

Yet the current front-runner is an experienced Michigan squad with an elite frontline. UAB transfer Yaxel Lendenborg is dominant at both ends of the floor, while seven-footer Aday Mara is an elite rim protector for one of the nation’s top defenses.

In the mid-major sphere, no league has provided more intrigue than the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The MAC features two of college basketball’s best offenses: the Miami RedHawks and the Akron Zips. These teams are prolific from beyond the arc and equally efficient at the rim, as evidenced by their 90-plus-point-per-game scoring averages.

Akron and Miami have great chemistry as a result of strong roster continuity, making them a stiff test for potential March Madness opponents.