The Badgers finished the 2011-12 season 26–10 overall (12–6 Big Ten). In the Big Ten tournament, Wisconsin was the #4 seed and defeated the #5 seed Hoosiers before losing to the #1 seed Spartans. In the NCAA Tournament, the Badgers were awarded the 4th-seed in the East Region. The team defeated 13th-seeded Montana and 5th-seeded Vanderbilt. In the regional semifinal, Wisconsin faced the #1 seeded Syracuse, losing 64–63.
