MILWAUKEE — Marquette and UW are on competing in the NCAA tournament this year hoping to make Wisconsin proud. While they weren't able to have their games at the Fiserv Forum, many players who are playing there have ties to the state.
Lipscomb basketball has two players from Wisconsin: Jacob Ognacevic who played at Sheboygan Lutheran and Grant Asman who played at Kimberly.
“As we got closer to selection Sunday, Milwaukee became more of a possibility, and then when they announced us, it became a reality," Ognacevic said. "I was just super excited that we’re coming back here and that I was able to come back to Wisconsin.”
Lipscomb will have a tough hill to climb if they want to advance in the tournament. They play No. 3 seed Iowa State who has a couple of Wisconsinites of their own.
Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger is from Milwaukee, played ball at Thomas More and at UW-Whitewater. One of his good young players, Milan Momcilovic led Pewaukee to three state titles in high school.
Watch: Wisconsin basketball well represented in tournament games Fiserv Forum
“A lot of gratitude I have to so many here and to be back here for the magnitude of this opportunity in front of us is a pretty cool experience," Otzelberger said.
And you can't forget about the Tarheels. North Carolina will play on Friday and Seth Trimble, who grew up in Wauwatosa and played at Menominee Falls High School will look to help them advance in the tournament.
“A couple of days before that I was talking about how crazy it’d be if we got a bid in Milwaukee and it came true in that moment and I was literally stuck on the couch with a blank expression but there were so many chills going through my body," Trimble said. "It’ll be the same once I get to run out of that tunnel tomorrow just to be able to play in Milwaukee right next to my hometown play in front of my family, in front of all my friends, and run out of the tunnel I’ve always dreamed about playing in, I’m sure it’ll be a good experience."
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