The Wisconsin Badgers won the 1941 NCAA Tournament and made the Sweet 16 in 1947. The Florida Gators won two national championships in the 21st century, whereas the Wisconsin Badgers — in their Final Four runs over the past 20 years — were not able to cut down the nets on Monday Night. Those are two significant differences between these two programs… but other than those obvious divergences, so many aspects of their histories mirror each other.
Why are we even talking about Florida basketball in relationship to Wisconsin hoops? The occasion which stimulated this line of thought was Billy Donovan’s ceremony in Gainesville on Saturday night. The University of Florida officially unveiled Billy Donovan Court in conjunction with the Gators’ game against Vanderbilt. The coach who truly built Florida basketball was accompanied by his family and 28 Gator players who made the trip to Gainesville to show their appreciation. Florida fans exasperated by the 2020 Gator team, and current head coach Mike White, were able to step back and remember how much Billy D transformed their program.
It is a story worth sharing with Wisconsin fans because a lot of the story is shared by the Wisconsin basketball program.
How similar are these programs when you cast aside Wisconsin’s 1940s successes and the fact that Florida won multiple national titles this century, whereas Wisconsin merely came close?
If you didn’t already know, let’s show you how much these two basketball programs have paralleled each other over the past 35 years:
The NCAA Tournament era began in 1939. In this era of college basketball, Wisconsin went 47 years without an NCAA Tournament appearance, from 1947 to 1994. Florida went without an NCAA Tournament appearance for 48 years, from the start of the era until its first bid in 1987.
Wisconsin made a very unexpected Final Four run in 2000. Florida made a very unexpected Final Four run in 1994.
The author of Wisconsin’s unexpected 2000 Final Four run, Dick Bennett, did not coach the team well beyond that season. He was out one year later. The author of Florida’s unexpected 1994 Final Four run, Lon Kruger, did not coach the team well beyond that season. He was out three years later.
After a surprising Final Four run and an abrupt coaching change, Wisconsin turned to Bo Ryan. Florida turned to Billy Donovan. Ryan stayed on the job for 14 years, Donovan for 19.
Ryan made 14 of 14 NCAA Tournaments. Donovan made 14 of 19 NCAA Tournaments. Wisconsin and Florida became annual NCAA Tournament teams, marking a completely new and prosperous identity for both programs.
Ryan made Wisconsin a top-four NCAA Tournament seed seven times. Donovan made Florida a top-four NCAA Tournament seed eight times.
Ryan led Wisconsin to seven Sweet 16s or better. Donovan led Florida to eight Sweet 16s or better.
Wisconsin and Florida both lost to Michigan State in the 2000 Final Four.
Wisconsin and Florida both lost to blue-bloods — Kentucky for UW, Connecticut for Florida — in the 2014 Final Four.
Much as Dick Bennett didn’t last very long at Wisconsin after his 2000 Final Four run, Bo Ryan didn’t last long at Wisconsin after his 2015 Final Four run. He didn’t even make it through the 2015 calendar year.
Much as Lon Kruger didn’t last very long at Florida after his 1994 Final Four run, Billy Donovan didn’t last long at Florida after his 2014 Final Four run. He coached one more season in 2015 and then went to the Oklahoma City Thunder for the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Ryan’s successor, Greg Gard, has missed the NCAA Tournament only once, despite his various struggles.
Donovan’s successor, Mike White, has missed the NCAA Tournament only once, despite his various struggles.
Gard’s struggles are reflected in the fact that Wisconsin has not been higher than a 5 seed in his tenure in Madison.
White’s struggles are reflected in the fact that Florida has not been higher than a 4 seed in his tenure in Gainesville.
Wisconsin has lost 10 games so far this season. Plenty of fans have grumbled, but the Badgers are still on course to make the NCAA Tournament.
Florida has lost nine games so far this season. Plenty of fans have grumbled, but the Gators are still on course to make the NCAA Tournament.
Wisconsin basketball and Florida basketball aren’t the same exact program, no… but they sure do have a lot of striking similarities, that’s for sure.