For the fourth straight year the Wisconsin men’s basketball team will play in the NCAA tournament, kicking off this year’s play tomorrow night at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. The eighth-seeded Badgers (18-12) will take on ninth-seeded St. John’s (20-11) in the East Region. The Red Storm is making its third NCAA tournament appearance in the last four years.

Led by junior Kirk Penney, who averages 15.1 points per game, the Badgers have won 15 of their last 21 games and were riding a six-game win streak until falling to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. St. John’s has won seven of its last 11 and is led by junior guard Marcus Hatten, who averages 19.9 points per game.

The Badgers and Red Storm have met twice before, with both games going to Wisconsin. The teams first met Jan. 26, 1963, at the UW Field House with Wisconsin posting an 85-52 win. The only other meeting was Nov. 28, 1978, at St. John’s, when Bucky took home the 73-68 victory.

The winner of tomorrow night’s contest will face the winner of the No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 16 Sienna game Sunday. This is the ninth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the Maryland Terrapins, who were a Final Four team last year.

The Wisconsin-St. John’s game tips off Friday at 6:40 p.m. CST. The game will be televised on CBS with Jim Nantz covering the play-by-play and Billy Packer handling the color commentary

— compiled from staff reports