3 Reasons Why Wisconsin’s Upset Loss In Round Of 64 Shouldn’t Be Surprising

The No. 5 seed Wisconsin Badgers lost to the No. 12 High Point Panthers, marking the first major upset in the March Madness tournament. Panthers forward Chase Johnston made his first layup of the season with 11 seconds left to send the Badgers home. It’s a shocking end to the Badgers’ season, but not in the broader context of their basketball program.

Greg Gard underperforms in March Madness

Head coach Greg Gard has coached the team since 2015. He has a 237-128 record with the Badgers, leading them to eight March Madness appearances in his 11-year tenure. Wisconsin was the best Big Ten team in the regular season in 2020 and 2022, so Gard knows how to get his team to the dance.

However, the Badgers have always fallen apart in March under his watch. Gard has a 7-8 record in March Madness, and he hasn’t made the Sweet 16 since the 2016-17 tournament.

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Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard answers questions during a press conference before a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

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Gard’s losses have usually come to a lower seed, especially recently. He lost to No. 12 James Madison in the round of 64 in 2024, to No. 6 BYU in the round of 32 in 2025, and finally to No. 12 High Point in the round of 64 in 2026. High Point even rallied down 10 points to knock out the Badgers.

Wisconsin lacks depth

Wisconsin was once again a good team in the Big Ten this season. However, they didn’t have much depth entering the tournament. They have only three players averaging over 10 points a game (Nick Boyd, John Blackwell, Nolan Winter), and they have just eight players averaging over 15 minutes a game.

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Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Nick Boyd (2) and guard Zach Kinziger (4) participating in drills during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

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The lack of depth reared its ugly head in this game. Wisconsin had just seven players suit up for the game, while High Point had nine. The Panthers earned 28 bench points, 14 from both Cam’Ron Fletcher and Chase Johnston, while the Badgers scored just 13.

Chase Johnston caught fire

Johnston deserves a lot of credit for winning the game for the Panthers. The redshirt senior guard has drawn a lot of attention for his jersey number (he wears #99) and his unorthodox play style. He’s only shot three-pointers this year, with his game-winning layup marking the first time all season he’s made a two-point shot.

However, Johnston helped with more than that shot. He had 11 of the final 21 points scored by the Panthers, and he made all four of his shots from 5:00 in the second half onward. He stepped up in a big way, and his performance even had other March Madness legends talking about his greatness.

Wisconsin ends its season early with another disappointing loss, and with Gard’s penchant for not coming through in big games, it’s fair to speculate what his future will be with the team.