No. 12 Badgers to follow Milwaukee's lead to NCAAs

MADISON (AP) — For once, the 12th-ranked Badgers are following the lead of another team in the University of Wisconsin system.

Coach Bo Ryan doesn't mind that one of his former assistants, Milwaukee's Rob Jeter, officially clinched a trip to the NCAAs first this season. And certainly not after the Panthers' meteoric rise from Horizon League afterthought to conference tournament champions.

The Badgers are an NCAA lock. Still, they wouldn't mind mimicking Milwaukee and win their own conference tournament this week in the Big Ten.

That would secure the league's automatic bid and possibly put Wisconsin back in the discussion for a No. 1 seed in the NCAAs.

As usual, Ryan isn't looking that far ahead. The Badgers (25-6) want to bounce back after losing the regular-season finale at Nebraska.