Wednesday night clinched it.
For the first time in a while, March is going to be fun in the state of Wisconsin, again.
On the same night, #22 Wisconsin and Marquette came up with mettle-proving victories.
First, the Badgers erased a 22-point deficit at home to beat Indiana.
Certified superstar Johnny Davis led the comeback effort with 23 points.
He’s going to insert himself into the National Player of the Year conversation by the time it’s all said and done.
Wednesday matches UW’s greatest comeback in school history.
Then, Shaka Smart’s young, upstart Golden Eagles held off Kansas State 64 to 63.
It’s a resume-boosting road victory that’ll pay dividends on Selection Sunday.
There’s no Johnny Davis on Marquette, but the Golden Eagles are greater than the sum of their individual parts.
The seasons won’t be perfect for either one of these schools.
There will be stumbling blocks along the way.
But as non-conference play comes to a close, for the first time since 2019, both Wisconsin and Marquette are in position to play in the tourney together.
And who knows what UWM might be able to pull off in their conference tournament with a superstar as well?
March is going to be fun again.
Enjoy the ride.