Kyle & Brust

March Mode is back as Alex Strouf and Wisconsin legend Ben Brust react to the Badgers’ NCAA Tournament draw and break down Wisconsin’s path in the bracket.

The Badgers are a 5 seed in the West Region and will face 12 seed High Point in the first round in Portland. Is the early tip actually a problem? Is High Point being overhyped as a 12-over-5 upset pick? And how should Wisconsin fans feel about a potential second-round showdown with Arkansas?

Plus:

• Wisconsin vs High Point matchup reaction

• Why Ben likes the “underdog” energy around Wisconsin

• Big Ten Tournament and Big Ten Sweet 16 predictions

• Michigan State, Illinois, UCLA, Duke and Houston thoughts

• Ben Brust’s Final Four picks

• Alex Strouf’s Final Four picks

Drop your bracket thoughts in the comments and let us know: how far are the Badgers going?

⏱ Chapters

0:00 March Mode begins

0:22 Wisconsin vs High Point game time reaction

0:43 Is the early Portland tip actually a problem?

4:10 Accepting the draw and moving forward

4:58 Why High Point became America’s 12-over-5 pick

7:32 Why Ben likes Wisconsin in the underdog role

10:32 Potential Round of 32 showdown with Arkansas

13:37 Favorite NCAA Tournament tip time as a fan

14:51 Big Ten teams in the bracket

17:09 Why Ben does not believe in Michigan State

19:29 UCLA sleeper thoughts

20:21 Penn vs Illinois and Houston discussion

22:07 How many Big Ten teams reach the Sweet 16?

24:17 Ben Brust’s Final Four

25:17 Alex Strouf’s Final Four

27:04 High Point preview tease

The bracket is out.

Alex Strouf hosts March Mode LIVE with Wisconsin Final Four legend Ben Brust and producer Riley Jauch reacting to the Wisconsin Badgers being named a #5 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin will face #12 High Point in the first round as the Badgers look to reach the second weekend for the first time since 2017.

We break down:

• Wisconsin vs High Point matchup

• The Badgers’ path in the West Region

• Potential second round opponents

• Biggest threats in the region

• National title contenders

• Full bracket reaction

High winds knock out Ben’s power for most of the morning, leading to a very serious debate over whether bringing a gallon of milk from home to the work fridge would be in poor taste. Then the guys dive into updated NFC North odds from Potawatomi Sportsbook, with Brad doubting the Packers will win the division in 2026 while Kyle goes all in on Green Bay for the first time since 2021. Later, the conversation shifts to heartbreak as the crew learns new Vikings QB Kyler Murray grew up a Vikings fan and was brought to tears by Brett Favre’s 2007 NFC Championship loss. That sparks a bigger debate: which loss was worse for Packers fans, the 2007 NFC title game or the 2014 collapse in Seattle? KBN Nation weighs in with personal stories and fan trauma.

Diana in Mukwonago calls in, except she is nowhere to be found. The guys eventually track her down and learn a tree fell on her fence during the morning wind storm, before Ben hangs up on her like only Ben can. From there, the show turns into live game coverage as KBN reacts in real time to Wisconsin against Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Ben breaks down the Badgers’ comeback, the game goes to overtime, and the guys ride every possession as Wisconsin survives in a thriller to punch its ticket to the Big Ten semifinals.

The guys react to former Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker signing a one year, $10 million deal with the Panthers, with Kyle frustrated Green Bay did not bring him back at that price. Then it is time for Guess Who, featuring some of Kyle’s vaguest, funniest, and strangest quotes from the week. Wheel of Strouf follows with NFL name change talk and a childhood story written by Ben 25 years ago. Homer joins to apologize for yesterday’s disagreement, then quickly reverses course and un apologizes.

Strouf finally watches real tape of Jordan Morgan at left tackle from the regular season finale against Minnesota, and it was not exactly comforting. The guys break down the current state of the Packers offensive line and whether there is real faith in the projected starting five. Then they post nine trench polls for every starter on both the offensive and defensive lines asking one simple question: ELITE, GREAT, GOOD, or AVERAGE? The hour wraps with a rare Over/Under victory on the longest tenured Packers.

The crew pays off all nine trench polls and compares their answers to KBN Nation’s votes on whether each starter is elite, great, good, or average. Jason Wilde joins to weigh in on the trenches, fires a stray shot at Strouf, gets a little sensitive, and is surprised with a brand new AI song about himself. Then the guys live react as the Badgers nearly blow a double digit lead in the Big Ten Tournament before surviving Washington, setting up a quarterfinal matchup against Illinois. The hour closes with Kyle reminding Strouf that everything in life is expensive, especially weddings.

The 4PM hour starts with the guys riding the momentum of the Javon Hargrave addition and what real veteran presence can do for a roster that has been one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Brad explains how veterans shape locker rooms, teach the fine details, and even build confidence in younger players through shared experience. The conversation shifts into what the Packers still need most, including the shaky outside cornerback situation, how much they should blitz that position in the draft, and what a “starter” versus a “stud” really means for a Super Bowl level defense. The first segment wraps with the crew clowning Brad’s Hall of Fame banquet ticket price and debating whether Brad should be on the hook for Kyle, Ben, and Strouf. Wheel of Strouf features Strouf asking the guys if he worked in the circus, what would he do? They continue to hash through exactly what his job would be and how he would fare in the circus or as a carny. The hour wraps with Homer joining the show to discuss Bam Adebayo's 83 points and whether or not Wilt Chamberlain was actually good, which Homer totally believes and Kyle and Ben do not.

Kyle is fired up about the Packers signing return specialist Skyy Moore, while Brad and Ben question whether Green Bay has truly replaced the starters they’ve lost in the first two days of Free Agency. Is this team actually better right now, or just reshuffling pieces? Plus, a debate on whether Gutekunst is finally taking Special Teams seriously.

Daniel Jones signs for $50M per year and the guys explain why that only validates Jordan Love’s $55M deal. Then Brad becomes Nerd Man, breaking down what the Packers lacked last season in terms of elite draft hits, health, and veteran presence. Strouf runs a Monte Carlo simulation on how 2025 could have played out if Micah Parsons, Tucker Kraft, and others stayed healthy. The hour wraps with stories from the student panel the guys attended, including classic Ben and Strouf antics.