UW last missed NCAA in ’97-’98
MADISON – Wisconsin must win four games in four days at the Big Ten tournament in New York to claim the league’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament and extend its streak of consecutive NCAA appearances to 20.
UW last missed the tournament in the 1997-’98 season, Dick Bennett’s third season as head coach. The Badgers finished 12-19 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten. Junior Sam Okey, the former Mr. Basketball in Wisconsin, decided to leave UW in January. Sean Mason led the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game.
Remember back that far?
The average cost for a gallon of gas was $1.15. The average cost of a new car was $17,200.
Two of the more popular films that year were “Titanic” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
Barry Alvarez was preparing for his ninth season as UW’s football coach.
Greg Gard, currently in his second full season as UW’s head men’s basketball coach, was an assistant coach at UW-Platteville under Bo Ryan.
The Pioneers finished 30-0 to win their third of four national titles under Ryan.
UW’s streak of 19 consecutive NCAA appearances is tied with Gonzaga for the fourth-longest current streak.
Kansas leads the way with 28, followed by Duke (22), Michigan State (20), VCU (7), Cincinnati (7), North Carolina (7), Iowa State (6) and Wichita State (6).
The Badgers and Gonzaga share the sixth-longest all-time streak.
Kansas (28) leads the way, followed by North Carolina (27), Arizona (25), Duke (22), Michigan State (20), Indiana (18), Kentucky (17) and UCLA (15).
Several big-name programs missed the NCAA Tournament during UW’s current run.
Did you know that Purdue, 26-5 under Matt Painter and seeded No. 3 in the Big Ten tournament this week, missed the NCAA Tournament in 2013 and ’14? Painter’s teams went 13-23 in league play and 31-35 overall in those seasons.
John Calipari led Kentucky to three Final Four berths in his first eight seasons in Lexington. But the Wildcats settled for the NIT in 2013, one season after winning the national title.
Ohio State under Thad Matta reached the NCAA title game in 2007, settled for the NIT in ’08 and then reached the NCAA Tournament in seven consecutive seasons before failing to qualify in 2016 and ’17.
North Carolina participated in the tournament in 27 consecutive seasons (1975-2001), but beginning with the 2001-’02 season missed the tournament three times in 10 years.
John Beilein led Michigan to the 2013 NCAA title game, yet he missed out three times in his first 10 seasons. The Wolverines’ combined record in those seasons was 41-55.
The Big Ten tournament begins Wednesday, with UW’s first game at 11 a.m. Thursday against Maryland. If the Badgers win, they’ll face top-seeded Michigan State on Friday.