You, a Wisconsin Badger basketball fan, know all about Wisconsin hoops. Americans don’t know as much as you do about the UW basketball program.
When a casual American college basketball fan thinks of Wisconsin, he or she knows that Wisconsin regularly makes the NCAA Tournament. This fan knows that Wisconsin plays very tough defense and is very consistent within the Big Ten Conference. Casual college basketball fans know Wisconsin is an annoying opponent to play — one of the richest compliments one can pay to a particular team — and that the Badgers get more out of their talent than the vast majority of programs in the United States.
There is no 2020 NCAA Tournament to discuss today. The tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus. We can, however, appreciate the legacy of Wisconsin basketball in the 21st century and make sure Americans realize how much the Badgers have achieved.
It’s not just the three Final Fours and the 2015 national semifinal win over a 38-0 Kentucky team which was trying to make history. It’s not just the crazy run of top-four finishes in the Big Ten, or the three Big Ten Tournament championships, or getting a No. 1 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
When considering the legacy of Wisconsin basketball in the 21st century, the achievement outsiders overlook is that when Wisconsin has made the NCAA Tournament — A LOT — it has hardly ever lost in the first round under Bo Ryan or Greg Gard.
We didn’t get to find out in 2020 if the Badgers could win in round one, but they likely would have as a 4 seed against a 13 seed. That point aside, Wisconsin has been one of the best first-round teams in the country since Ryan came aboard for the 2001-2002 season.
Wisconsin fans know this, but if you haven’t followed the Badgers closely over the past two decades, do YOU know the following fact?
Wisconsin under Ryan and Gard — from 2002 through 2019, a period of 18 seasons — went 14-3 in first-round NCAA Tournament games.
This isn’t as good as Roy Williams, who is 29-0 in first-round games at Kansas and North Carolina… but few other programs and coaches can offer a record of achievement which matches Wisconsin under Ryan and Gard (mostly Ryan, of course, but Gard is 2-1 in first-round games).
Ryan’s only first-round losses in 14 NCAA Tournament appearances from 2002 through 2015 came in 2006 (Arizona) and 2013 (Ole Miss). Gard’s only loss came last year to Oregon, playing the Ducks in San Jose, which counts as Pac-12 country, a geographical road game for the Badgers.
Wisconsin owns many achievements and many special distinctions in the 21st century. The 14-3 first-round record under Bo Ryan and Greg Gard is the achievement many Americans don’t talk about very much.
You are free to talk about it more if you’d like.