Senior Day at the Kohl Center: Wisconsin Hosts Maryland with Seeding on the Line
The Badgers honor their senior class while fighting for Big Ten Tournament seeding while avoiding a costly loss to Maryland before the Big Dance.
While March is the most exciting time of the year in terms of college basketball and arguably all of college sports, there is a little bittersweetness to the regular season winding down. The Wisconsin basketball (20-9, 12-6 B1G) team hosts the Maryland Terrapins tonight in the Badgers’ final home game of the season.
With that comes Senior Day, a night where the high-stakes math of March meets the raw emotion of watching some of our favorite players take the Ab Nicholas Court in the Kohl Center for the final time. Wisconsin has historically been dominant in these finales, boasting a 21-4 record on Senior Day over the last 25 years.
For Greg Gard and the Badgers, the mission is dual-layered. On one hand, they will honor a veteran group that has served as the backbone of a high-octane offensive resurgence. On the other hand, they are in the heat of a desperate sprint for postseason positioning.
Fresh off a dominant road win in Seattle and armed with the Big Ten’s most valuable tiebreaker, Wisconsin enters tonight as a heavy favorite. But with a chance to secure a top-4 seed in Chicago and avoid the Thursday gauntlet, the Badgers cannot afford an emotional hangover. Against a Maryland squad playing for pride and led by a dangerous freshman scorer in Andre Mills, Wisconsin must ensure the celebration before the tip doesn’t distract from the business at hand.
Game Info
When: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM CT
Where: Kohl Center (Madison, WI)
TV: FS1
Radio: Badger Radio Network
Betting Line: Wisconsin -14.5; O/U 155.5
Players to Watch
Wisconsin
Nick Boyd (G, Sr.): Boyd is putting together a historic swan song. Currently ranking 4th in the Big Ten in scoring (20.3 PPG), he is on track to be the first Badger since Michael Finley in 1995 to average 20 points for an entire season. Even more impressive? His ball security. Over the last 14 games, Boyd has recorded 67 assists to just 21 turnovers—a 3.2 ratio that has transformed this offense.
Braeden Carrington (G, Sr.): You couldn’t ask for a better momentum builder heading into Senior Day. Carrington’s record-setting 9 triples and 32 points against Washington weren’t just a fluke; he’s now shooting 40.2% from deep on the season. Look for Carrington to make his mark on Senior Day off the bench.
Nolan Winter (F, Jr.): The 7-footer is hitting his stride at the right time. Averaging 13.5 PPG and 8.7 RPG, Winter’s ability to stretch the floor (32.2% from 3) while protecting the rim (1.2 BPG) will be vital against a Maryland team that lacks interior depth.
Maryland
Andre Mills (G, Fr.): The clear focal point for Buzz Williams. The redshirt freshman is a bucket-getter, highlighted by a 39-point explosion against Northwestern recently. He’s averaging 22.4 PPG over his last five and has improved his three-point shooting from 28% in the early season to over 41% since February.
David “Diggy” Coit (G, Gr.): The veteran floor general. While Maryland has struggled, Coit remains a steady presence with 14.1 PPG and leads the team in assists. He will be tasked with navigating Wisconsin’s high-pressure “swing” defense.
Solomon Washington (F, Sr.): With Pharrel Payne sidelined, Washington has become their primary interior force. He leads the Terps in rebounding (9.3 RPG) and will be the man responsible for trying to keep Nolan Winter off the glass.
Storylines to Watch
1. The Final Bow at the Kohl Center
This isn’t just a game; it’s a farewell. Nick Boyd, Braeden Carrington, Andrew Rohde, and Isaac Gard will be honored tonight. These seniors have overseen a season where Wisconsin has gone 18-0 when scoring 80+ points. Expect the crowd to be electric in the final game at the Kohl Center this season.
Badger Backer Insider: Why does Wisconsin hold a huge advantage in the Big Ten tiebreakers? We dive into the seeding logjam and our final prediction below.
