It’s Time for March Madness

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March Madness returns to Milwaukee for the first time since 2022 with a four-game First Round slate that offers sharp-shooting underdogs, power conference teams aiming to avenge past upsets, and plenty of Wisconsin talent.

Here is everything you need to know about the NCAA Tournament contests at Fiserv Forum:

#6 Ole Miss vs. #11 North Carolina

Mississippi is one of a record 14 SEC teams that earned an NCAA Tournament this year,

The Rebels have defeated SEC elites Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee, as well as tournament foes BYU and Louisville. Mississippi has not lost to a team outside the top 50 in the NCAA NET Rankings.

Head Coach Chris Beard leads a balanced squad in the top 35 in offensive and defensive efficiency (per Ken Pomeroy). Six players average at least 1o PPG, with Virginia Tech transfer Sean Pedulla leading the way at 14.9 PPG.

With the fourth-best turnover margin in Division I, the Rebels play mistake-free basketball and will be tough to defeat in Milwaukee.

Ole Miss’ reward for earning its highest NCAA Tournament seed in 25 years? A matchup with talented North Carolina  — which demolished San Diego State by 27 points in the First Four play-in.

UNC was a controversial tournament inclusion, having won just twice in 12 matchups against top-50 opposition. Nevertheless, the Tar Heels are a dangerous squad.

R.J. Davis won the 2024 Jerry West Award, given to the top shooting guard in college basketball. He scored 26 points and was a perfect 6-6 from three-point land against SDSU.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis responded to the criticism of his team’s NCAA Tournament inclusion, saying: “My communication with [my players] is to always focus on us. It’s not the noise on the outside in terms of comments and critics. Focusing on our preparation, our practice, and our play. I consistently send that message because that’s the only thing that we have control over.”

#3 Iowa State vs. #14 Lipscomb

Iowa State-Lipscomb is the perfect matchup for Milwaukee basketball fans, as three Wisconsinites will feature in this First Round tussle.

Iowa State boasts wing Milan Momcilovic of Pewaukee. Momcilovic was part of the Big 12 All-Freshman team last year and is one of the top three-point shooters in the conference at 40.6%

For Lipscomb, Sheboygan’s Jacob Ognacevic and Kimberly's Grant Asman play key roles for the Bisons.

The 6-8 Ognacevic is the Player of the Year in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season, averaging 20.7 PPG (17th-best in Division I). Ognacevic can score from anywhere on the floor, shooting 57.3% from the field and 40.2% from beyond the arc.

“I think every kid dreams of playing in the NCAA Tournament," Ognacevic said. "Just being able to do that is going to be a dream come true.”

Lipscomb head coach Lennie Acuff added: “If it doesn’t go well, it’s not going to be because the moment’s too big. It’s because we got beat by a better team.”

The Bisons take and make many threes, which will be a focal point for ISU and its ninth-ranked defense.

When Milwaukee was last a host site in 2022, the Cyclones utilized a favorable crowd to pull off two upsets to reach the Sweet Sixteen as an 11-seed. Following another Sweet Sixteen run last year, Iowa State has Final Four aspirations.

#6 Illinois vs. #11 Xavier

Few squads take more three-pointers than Illinois, which ranks 30th nationally in three-point rate. But with a three-point accuracy of just 31.1% (316th in the country), the Illini are one of the tournament’s most volatile teams.

Illinois is nearly unbeatable when the shots fall, as evidenced by a 109-77 thumping at Oregon and a 93-73 win at Michigan. When the threes dry up, the squad from Champaign can find itself on the wrong end of a blowout, such as an embarrassing 110-67 loss to Duke.

Brad Underwood’s squad has NBA-level freshmen in Lithuanian point guard Kasparas Jakucionis and forward Will Riley. But can this team hit enough outside shots to advance?

“It’s an accomplishment,” Underwood said of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the fifth straight time with Illinois. It’s something you never take lightly in this business, hearing your name called on Selection Sunday. It’s pretty special.”

The Big Ten squad faces Xavier, another controversial at-large selection. The Musketeers dispatched Texas in the First Four but, like North Carolina, lacked wins against high-level opposition.

Xavier is an efficient offensive team, ranking third in the country in three-point percentage. Three Musketeers shoot better than 40% from deep, including Ryan Conwell, who finished second in the Big East with 97 made threes.

Add strong defensive rebounding, and Xavier has the pieces to pull off an 11-6 upset.

#3 Kentucky vs. #14 Troy

Since reaching the Elite Eight in 2019, Kentucky has just one NCAA Tournament victory. This stretch includes vexing First Round upsets at the hands of 15-seed Saint Peter’s in 2022 and 14-seed Oakland last year.

New head coach Mark Pope — who did not win a tournament game in five years at BYU — will look to change the Wildcats’ fortunes.

Pope played with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2000 to 2002, and the city brings him great memories. “It’s a special place to me,” Pope said. “We made an epic run all the way through the Eastern Conference Finals to a Game 7. My first daughter, Ella, was born in Milwaukee.”

Kentucky again owns a top-10 offense led by 16.2 PPG from guard Otega Oweh. Oweh is the lone junior in a deep rotation that includes six seniors, a sophomore, and three freshmen playing meaningful minutes.

The Wildcats will look to wear down a Troy team that won the Sun Belt Tournament. The Trojans cannot match Kentucky’s 11-man rotation, but the squad from Alabama does play nine guys.

The one guy Kentucky will be mindful of is Sun Belt Player of the Year Tayton Conerway. Conerway is elite on both sides of the ball, ranking third nationally in steals, averaging 14.8 PPG and 4.9 APG.

Troy head coach Scott Cross expressed confidence in his team, saying: “We’re not going to be hunted,”. “We’re going to go out there and be hunters. That’s the only way to be successful. If we go out and we’re hungry, we’re tough, we’re aggressive, we have a chance.”

With the Sun Belt’s top defense, Troy’s ability to slow the game down and force turnovers could be the equalizer.