Photo by Tyler Klein
March Madness at Fiserv Forum
For the first time since 2022, the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament returns to Fiserv Forum. Milwaukee will host First and Second Round action on March 21 and 23.
In 2022, three Midwest teams—Wisconsin, Iowa State, and Purdue—were among the eight schools that came to town, resulting in sellouts for all six games. Fans watched Racine’s Tyrese Hunter lead Iowa State to upset victories over LSU and Wisconsin to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
Will there be more local magic this March?
Can Both Milwaukee Schools Reach the Big Dance?
Not since 2006 have Marquette and Milwaukee reached the NCAA Tournament in the same season. This year, the odds for full Cream City representation are favorable.
Marquette is three-for-three in NCAA Tournament bids under head coach Shaka Smart. But this MU squad expects more than an invite. Marquette reached the Sweet Sixteen in 2024—its furthest tourney run in 11 years. Despite the departure of stars Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro to the NBA, senior guard Kam Jones has emerged as a National Player of the Year candidate.
With the Golden Eagles in the AP Poll’s top 10, a tournament berth is nearly guaranteed—and a Final Four appearance within reach.
A block away from Golden Eagles home court at Fiserv Forum, at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, Bart Lundy’s UWM squad is poised for a March breakthrough in his third season. The Panthers fell agonizingly short in 2023-24, succumbing to Oakland 83-76 in the Horizon League Championship Game.
Preseason league favorites, the current UWM squad is the most balanced of Lundy’s tenure—the result of significant defensive improvement. Milwaukee also ranks in the top 30 nationally in offensive and defensive rebounding rates due to the interior impact of transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell, the program record holder for rebounds in a game and double-doubles in a season.
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With an experienced and talented roster, Milwaukee has the tools to win its first NCAA Tournament game in a generation.
Breaking Down the Field
Last year, Connecticut became the first team to win back-to-back National Championships since Florida in 2006 and 2007. The Huskies return a talented and youthful roster that must improve defensively to claim a three-peat.
The current title frontrunners are Auburn and Duke. Led by the nation’s most dominant player —big man Johni Broome—Auburn is a veteran team boasting four wins over top-10 opposition.
Duke is one of the youngest teams in college basketball. Three of its starters are freshmen, including Wisconsin Lutheran product Kon Knueppel. The Blue Devils’ catalyst is 18-year-old Cooper Flagg, the consensus number one overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
For fans craving a Cinderella story, look no further than the Big West duo of UC Irvine and UC San Diego. Irvine boasts a top-10 defense and is battle-tested—resulting from a demanding non-conference schedule. The team has played 10 of 12 games away from home, only dropping two.
Down the coast, UC San Diego is poised for a March run in its first season of NCAA Tournament eligibility. The Tritons are the lone team to win on the road against Mountain West frontrunners Utah State. UCSD and Marquette are the only squads in the top 20 nationally in offensive and defensive turnover rates.
Underdogs have caused chaos in recent years. Since 2011, 10 teams seeded eight or worse have reached the Final Four — including three double-digit seeds in the last six tournaments. But when it comes to champions, the number-one seeds still reign supreme, winning the title nearly two-thirds of the time during this stretch.
Expect mayhem to reign supreme this spring and embrace the drama of March Madness.
