High Point calls out major conferences for avoiding his team after March Madness upset: 'They gotta play us'

High Point is riding precocious aft its archetypal March Madness triumph successful schoolhouse history.

The 12th-seeded Panthers came backmost from treble digits to instrumentality down No. 5 Wisconsin successful the tournament's archetypal upset successful a thrilling 83-82 victory.

High Point did not person galore opportunities to enactment the state connected notice, arsenic its full docket was filled with chap mid-major schools.

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Head manager Flynn Clayman of the High Point Panthers celebrates aft the High Point Panthers upset the Wisconsin Badgers successful the archetypal circular of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held astatine Moda Center connected March 19, 2026, successful Portland, Oregon. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

But caput manager Flynn Clayman called retired the Power Four schools for seemingly avoiding High Point and different mid-majors passim the season.

"It looks beauteous evident to maine that high-majors request to play mid-majors aboriginal successful the season. Because they said we didn't play nobody. We played idiosyncratic now," Clayman said soon aft the victory. 

"I cognize however bully of a squad we are. But cipher would play us, conscionable similar they wouldn't play Miami (Ohio). But they gotta play america successful this tournament."

Head manager Flynn Clayman of the High Point Panthers is embraced by defender Scotty Washington and guardant Terry Anderson aft upsetting the Wisconsin Badgers successful the archetypal circular of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held astatine Moda Center connected March 19, 2026, successful Portland, Oregon.  (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

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High Point defender Chase Johnston scored the game-winning handbasket with 11.7 seconds near connected a breakaway layup aft Wisconsin defender Nick Boyd missed a layup that would person enactment the Badgers up 84-81. High Point defender Rob Martin hauled successful the rebound and fired downcourt to a streaking Johnston. Amazingly enough, Johnston's layup was his archetypal two-point handbasket of the season.

After Johnston's bucket gave High Point the lead, Owen Aquino blocked a driving layup by Boyd. The Panthers' Cam'Ron Fletcher was fouled and missed a escaped throw, giving the Badgers a accidental with 1.8 seconds left, but Andrew Rohde's agelong walk was stolen by Terry Anderson, and the solemnisation was connected for High Point and first-year manager Flynn Clayman.

High Point earned a spot successful the tourney by winning the Big South rubric for the 2nd consecutive season. This was the archetypal March Madness triumph for the Panthers, who mislaid to Purdue successful the archetypal circular past year.

Braden Hausen of the High Point Panthers celebrates his artifact with teammate Terry Anderson against the Wisconsin Badgers during the 2nd fractional successful the archetypal circular of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament astatine Moda Center connected March 19, 2026, successful Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

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Johnston finished with 14 points, including 4 3-pointers for the Panthers, who were 10.5-point underdogs.

Fox News' Ryan Canfield and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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