Wisconsin Basketball: A look at the Badgers' success this century

Wisconsin Basketball: A look at the Badgers’ success this century

Apr 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers players run on the court after the 2015 NCAA Men's Division I Championship semi-final game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Lucas Oil Stadium. Wisconsin won 71-64. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 18, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Zak Showalter (3) celebrates with forward Nigel Hayes (10) after defeating the Villanova Wildcats during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Wisconsin won 65-62. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

2016 – Present: Entering the present and the Greg Gard era

2016-2017: 27-10 (12-6 Big Ten), Sweet 16

After signing on as the full-time head coach, the ’16-17 campaign was the first complete season under Greg Gard. He returned four tremendous seniors in Koenig, Hayes, Vitto Brown, and Zak Showalter in addition to the sophomore Happ. The Badgers got as high as No. 7 in the country at one point, but his a rocky stretch late in the season which caused them to be selected as just an eight seed in the NCAA Tournament. And, just like the season before, the stars stepped up in a second round matchup against one of the best teams in the tournament in Villanova, knocking off the defending champs. They did fall in a Sweet 16 thriller with Florida, but beating the No. 1 overall seed is something to hold your hat on.

2017-2018: Stay tuned for this upcoming season

Although the seniors Koenig, Hayes, Brown, and Showalter are gone, Coach Gard brings back Ethan Happ as the focal point of the offense. As should be evident based on the past 17 years of Wisconsin basketball, it should come as no surprise if they found a way to finish near the top of the conference once again. Now, as a summary of the feats accomplished by the Badgers this century, here is what they have to show for themselves:

Four All-Americans (Alando Tucker, Jordan Taylor, Frank Kaminsky, Ethan Happ)
Four players currently in the NBA (Devin Harris, Jon Leuer, Kaminsky, Sam Dekker)
One National Player of the Year (Kaminsky)
16 straight seasons finishing fourth or better in the Big Ten
NCAA Tournament berth in every season since 1998-1999
33-18 total record in the Big Dance
10 appearances in the Sweet 16 (including a current streak of four straight)
Four appearances in the Elite Eight
Two Final Four appearances
One National Championship appearance
Three Big Ten Tournament Championships
Four Big Ten regular season titles

There are not many schools across the country who can say this much about their program, and the Badgers have done all of this in just this century. There are obviously the powerhouse teams like Kentucky, North Carolina, and Duke, but don’t forget about a team like Wisconsin. They might not have a flashy play style nor have they won the NCAA Tournament, but they will always be on your television screen when March rolls around.

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All in all, the Wisconsin Badgers have been one of the most successful college basketball programs during the 21st Century, having made three Final Fours and not missing a single NCAA Tournament.

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