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Wisconsin basketball is in the NCAA Tournament for the 24th time in the last 26 seasons, excluding 2020's canceled postseason. It is a No. 3 seed in the 2025 edition, set to begin play on Thursday afternoon.
That standing defines the program's place as one of the sport's more consistent winners. At its peak in the mid-2010s, the Badgers arguably belonged in the conversation with college basketball's blue-blood programs. But Wisconsin has slipped since that point. It has missed two of the last seven NCAA Tournaments (2018, 2023), with just two tournament wins since its last Sweet 16 appearance in 2017.
That dynamic sets the stage for this year's March Madness. Wisconsin enters as a No. 3 seed, set to play No. 14 Montana in the opening round. With a win, the Badgers would advance to play the winner of No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU. The expectation is, again, a Sweet 16 appearance and some semblance of a run. Anything less would create yet another disappointing postseason.
As Wisconsin makes its final preparations before Thursday's opening game, here is a comprehensive look at the program's tournament history since 2016 -- when Greg Gard took over as full-time head coach.
It should go without saying that he and his program need a deep run this go-around.
Round of 64: 47-43 win over Pittsburgh
Round of 32: 66-63 win over Xavier
Sweet 16: 61-56 loss to Notre Dame
Wisconsin returned to the second weekend after its consecutive Final Four trips in 2014 and 2015. Greg Gard took over for Bo Ryan midway through this season. He led a significant late-season surge to earn the full-time role on March 7.
The Badgers were a No. 7 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. They defeated No. 10 Pittsburgh in the round of 64, before a big win over No. 2 Xavier in the round of 32. The team eventually fell to No. 6-seed Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.
Round of 64: 84-74 win over Virginia Tech
Round of 32: 65-62 win over Villanova
Sweet 16: 84-83 overtime loss to Florida
Wisconsin was seconds away from the Elite Eight in Gard's first full season. Florida guard Chris Chiozza hit a running three-point shot at the overtime buzzer to send the Badgers home. Entering 2025, this is Wisconsin's last Sweet 16 trip.
Wisconsin went just 15-18 in 2017-18 in what was Gard's first full season with mostly his recruits. Nigel Hayes, Zak Showalter and others departed after the 2016-17 campaign. This year was mostly a rebuild, with Brad Davison, D'Mitrik Trice, Nate Reuvers and Aleem Ford all underclassmen.
Round of 64: 72-54 loss to Oregon
Wisconsin was the victim of a classic 12-over-5 upset in 2019. The Badgers, who went 23-10 during the season, were blown out by a strong Oregon Ducks team. Oregon made a run to the Sweet 16, where it fell to top-seed Virginia.
Wisconsin appeared prime for a March Madness run when the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. The Badgers won the Big Ten regular-season race, finishing the campaign on a decisive eight-game win streak. Looking back, the 2020 NCAA Tournament being canceled is a big 'what-if' in Greg Gard's tenure.
Round of 64: 85-62 win over North Carolina
Round of 32: 76-63 loss to Baylor
Wisconsin shot the lights out in a blowout win over North Carolina to open the tournament. However, it then fell to the top-ranked Baylor Bears. That year marked another program transition, as D'Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers all exhausted their eligibility.
[IMG alt="Wisconsin guard Brad Davison (34) talks to his teammates during the first half in their second round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Sunday, March 20, 2022 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. Iowa State beat Wisconsin 54-49. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Mjs Uwmen21 18 Jpg Ncaa21"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/badgers_...es_739/4260a775fa956d621c91c61945315613[/IMG]
Round of 64: 67-60 win over Colgate
Round of 32: 54-49 loss to Iowa State
Injuries to stars Johnny Davis and Chucky Hepburn halted Wisconsin's postseason run in 2022. The team won the Big Ten regular-season title, thanks in large part to an All-American season from Davis. Both he and Hepburn were hobbled against a strong Iowa State team. Their health is another 'what-if' in Gard's tenure.
Wisconsin went 20-15 in 2022-23 after star Johnny Davis left for the NBA. The team made a deep run in the NIT, falling to North Texas in the semifinal.
This was the last year before Wisconsin's heightened transfer portal efforts, plus began the transition to the current fast-paced offensive approach. The season was disappointing, but there's an argument that it led to the program's current success.
Round of 64: 72-61 loss to James Madison
Wisconsin's 2023-24 postseason was a complete failure. The team was ranked among the best in the country in late January. It then lost seven of its next nine, plus eight of 11 overall to close the season. Despite some success in the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers fell flat against James Madison. A.J. Storr headlined those struggles with just 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
Wisconsin opens its 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday against No. 14-seed Montana. The Badgers are well-equipped for a deep run, with one of the nation's best combinations of offensive and defensive efficiency. Star John Tonje has a chance to join the program's all-time greats with a strong few weeks of play.
The Badgers have a tough road to a deep run. But the team has a golden chance to reverse seven seasons of postseason struggles.
Greg Gard is just 6-6 in six NCAA Tournament appearances. He is 4-2 in the round of 64, 2-2 in the round of 32 and 0-2 in the Sweet 16. He and the Badgers are also just 2-4 in the event since the 2017 season.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball March Madness tournament history under Greg Gard
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That standing defines the program's place as one of the sport's more consistent winners. At its peak in the mid-2010s, the Badgers arguably belonged in the conversation with college basketball's blue-blood programs. But Wisconsin has slipped since that point. It has missed two of the last seven NCAA Tournaments (2018, 2023), with just two tournament wins since its last Sweet 16 appearance in 2017.
That dynamic sets the stage for this year's March Madness. Wisconsin enters as a No. 3 seed, set to play No. 14 Montana in the opening round. With a win, the Badgers would advance to play the winner of No. 6 BYU vs. No. 11 VCU. The expectation is, again, a Sweet 16 appearance and some semblance of a run. Anything less would create yet another disappointing postseason.
As Wisconsin makes its final preparations before Thursday's opening game, here is a comprehensive look at the program's tournament history since 2016 -- when Greg Gard took over as full-time head coach.
It should go without saying that he and his program need a deep run this go-around.
2015-16: Sweet Sixteen
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Round of 64: 47-43 win over Pittsburgh
Round of 32: 66-63 win over Xavier
Sweet 16: 61-56 loss to Notre Dame
Wisconsin returned to the second weekend after its consecutive Final Four trips in 2014 and 2015. Greg Gard took over for Bo Ryan midway through this season. He led a significant late-season surge to earn the full-time role on March 7.
The Badgers were a No. 7 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. They defeated No. 10 Pittsburgh in the round of 64, before a big win over No. 2 Xavier in the round of 32. The team eventually fell to No. 6-seed Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.
2016-17: Sweet Sixteen
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Round of 64: 84-74 win over Virginia Tech
Round of 32: 65-62 win over Villanova
Sweet 16: 84-83 overtime loss to Florida
Wisconsin was seconds away from the Elite Eight in Gard's first full season. Florida guard Chris Chiozza hit a running three-point shot at the overtime buzzer to send the Badgers home. Entering 2025, this is Wisconsin's last Sweet 16 trip.
2017-18: Missed tournament
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Wisconsin went just 15-18 in 2017-18 in what was Gard's first full season with mostly his recruits. Nigel Hayes, Zak Showalter and others departed after the 2016-17 campaign. This year was mostly a rebuild, with Brad Davison, D'Mitrik Trice, Nate Reuvers and Aleem Ford all underclassmen.
2018-19: First-round loss
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Round of 64: 72-54 loss to Oregon
Wisconsin was the victim of a classic 12-over-5 upset in 2019. The Badgers, who went 23-10 during the season, were blown out by a strong Oregon Ducks team. Oregon made a run to the Sweet 16, where it fell to top-seed Virginia.
2019-20: NCAA Tournament canceled
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Wisconsin appeared prime for a March Madness run when the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19. The Badgers won the Big Ten regular-season race, finishing the campaign on a decisive eight-game win streak. Looking back, the 2020 NCAA Tournament being canceled is a big 'what-if' in Greg Gard's tenure.
2020-21: Second-round loss
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Round of 64: 85-62 win over North Carolina
Round of 32: 76-63 loss to Baylor
Wisconsin shot the lights out in a blowout win over North Carolina to open the tournament. However, it then fell to the top-ranked Baylor Bears. That year marked another program transition, as D'Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, Micah Potter and Nate Reuvers all exhausted their eligibility.
2021-22: Second-round loss
[IMG alt="Wisconsin guard Brad Davison (34) talks to his teammates during the first half in their second round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Sunday, March 20, 2022 at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. Iowa State beat Wisconsin 54-49. MARK HOFFMAN/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
Mjs Uwmen21 18 Jpg Ncaa21"]https://media.zenfs.com/en/badgers_...es_739/4260a775fa956d621c91c61945315613[/IMG]
Round of 64: 67-60 win over Colgate
Round of 32: 54-49 loss to Iowa State
Injuries to stars Johnny Davis and Chucky Hepburn halted Wisconsin's postseason run in 2022. The team won the Big Ten regular-season title, thanks in large part to an All-American season from Davis. Both he and Hepburn were hobbled against a strong Iowa State team. Their health is another 'what-if' in Gard's tenure.
2022-23: Missed tournament
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Wisconsin went 20-15 in 2022-23 after star Johnny Davis left for the NBA. The team made a deep run in the NIT, falling to North Texas in the semifinal.
This was the last year before Wisconsin's heightened transfer portal efforts, plus began the transition to the current fast-paced offensive approach. The season was disappointing, but there's an argument that it led to the program's current success.
2023-24: First-round loss
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Round of 64: 72-61 loss to James Madison
Wisconsin's 2023-24 postseason was a complete failure. The team was ranked among the best in the country in late January. It then lost seven of its next nine, plus eight of 11 overall to close the season. Despite some success in the Big Ten Tournament, the Badgers fell flat against James Madison. A.J. Storr headlined those struggles with just 13 points on 5-of-14 shooting.
2024-25: TBD -- No. 3 seed in East region
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Wisconsin opens its 2025 NCAA Tournament on Thursday against No. 14-seed Montana. The Badgers are well-equipped for a deep run, with one of the nation's best combinations of offensive and defensive efficiency. Star John Tonje has a chance to join the program's all-time greats with a strong few weeks of play.
The Badgers have a tough road to a deep run. But the team has a golden chance to reverse seven seasons of postseason struggles.
Recap
Greg Gard is just 6-6 in six NCAA Tournament appearances. He is 4-2 in the round of 64, 2-2 in the round of 32 and 0-2 in the Sweet 16. He and the Badgers are also just 2-4 in the event since the 2017 season.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball March Madness tournament history under Greg Gard
Continue reading...
