ROSEMONT, Ill.—Despite an NCAA title in 1941, Wisconsin men’s basketball has a history largely defined by consistent futility. After that 1941 title, UW appeared in the Big Dance just three times over the next 57 years, never reaching the Sweet 16. But since 1999, the Badgers have gone dancing 14 consecutive years, reaching the Sweet 16 six times.
Since Dick Bennett took the helm, and now over the 11 years that Bo Ryan has been the head coach at UW, the program has gone from a perennial loser to a virtual lock for the NCAA Tournament. At the same time, the Badger fan base has begun to expect that type of success, even going so far as to demand more.
Despite a Final Four appearance in 2000 under Bennett, the Badgers have struggled to take the next step into becoming a perennial contender for the national title.
“I think we have been talking about that for a few years now,” redshirt senior center Jared Berggren said at Big Ten media day in Rosemont, Ill. “In our offseason training, our strength coach Scott Hettenbach always says ‘we are right there, when are we going to break this door open.’”
The door very nearly broke open in last year’s Sweet 16 matchup with top-ranked Syracuse as the Badgers found themselves with a chance to win in the final possession in Boston. But ultimately Jordan Taylor’s shot for the win fell short and UW was once again left just shy of the promised land.
“I think we were real close to moving forward,” redshirt senior forward Ryan Evans said. “I think we will definitely have an opportunity to do that this year.”
If Wisconsin is ultimately to break through and finally reach a national title game, they will have to survive one of the toughest schedules the program has ever seen. After opening the regular season with Southeast Louisiana, the Badgers have just two days off before they head to Gainesville for a road test against No. 10 Florida.
Beyond Gainesville lies another road game at Marquette, a neutral site matchup with No. 15 Creighton and home dates with California and Virginia. With that type of stretch right off the bat, the Badgers should be well accustomed to grinding it out come the start of Big Ten play.
But last season Wisconsin surprised many with road wins at Illinois, Purdue and Ohio State, the first time the program had done so since 1913. That success helped shed some of the “great at home, bad on the road” image that UW had gotten over the years.
“We had some good experience last year playing in tough environments and we able to have a little bit of success,” Berggren added. “It’s always tough to play on the road and to be successful, but once you get a taste of it you know how sweet it feels to go into that hostile environment and to get a win.”
Junior guard Josh Gasser was slated to start at the point guard position after Wisconsin lost Jordan Taylor to graduation. However, Gasser tore his ACL in practice in late October and will miss the entire 2012-'13 campaign.
Despite those losses, the Badgers have plenty of experience as they try to make this year the year they finally break through.
With impact freshman Sam Dekker now being added to the fold, Wisconsin figures to have a good shot to get the job done come the start of conference play and into March.
Dekker, a native of Sheboygan, Wis., is Wisconsin’s most highly touted arrival since Devin Harris in 2001. Having dominated the high school and AAU ranks in Wisconsin, Dekker brings the Badgers the type of athleticism and tempo they have rarely had the opportunity to utilize.
But while many feel this added dimension gives Wisconsin perhaps a better shot come March, Ryan was quick to note that the principles of “Wisconsin basketball” will remain unchanged.
“Sam is a very good athlete, he has a very good feel for the game” Ryan said. “But Sam also understands how important half court offense is.”
The consistent play of Wisconsin men’s basketball over the past decade-plus has turned UW into a player on the national scene. But still without a title and lacking a Final Four appearance during Ryan’s tenure, the Badgers are still hungry to take that next step.
“It's not about the Final Four, it's not about the Sweet 16 or the Elite 8,” Ryan said. “In college basketball, players and coaches want to win a national championship. That’s it.”
