Will Wisconsin ever win a national championship?

[BigAppleBadger]

I'm sitting here at the airport, still exhausted from staying up for the game last night, and it's just hitting me that this may have been the best shot they'll have. The Badgers won't ever get the elite recruits, they get to the Final Four because of coaching and lucking out with an occasional diamond in the rough. Kaminsky and Dekker are gone now, and the chances of us getting two of those guys on the same roster again, with experience under their belts, and such a strong supporting cast (Hayes, Gasser, Koenig, Jackson and Dukan are all really solid players), again while Bo is still coaching seem slight.

This was Wisconsin's year and I still think they had the best team (not the best collection of players, but best team). They just had an off shooting night, including free throws, and the 2nd half foul situation hurt. The Badgers deserved this one and it would have been transformational for the program.

I'm most annoyed about losing to Duke... self-described "college basketball royalty" with possibly the most arrogant and entitled fan base in all of sports (it's a close race between them and Notre Dame football fans). I can't think of a worse opponent to have lost this heartbreaker to.

Just a terrible end to a great season and tournament.

 

[Smart]

I won't be surprised if they sneak in a title in a year like last year or 2011 without a true power. I certainly don't think we will see a better Badger team than this one in our lifetime.

The key difference from the other good Badger teams is Frank, and you can't count on lightning striking twice like that. He is probably the most improved college player of my lifetime. 36-3 and the best player in both the regular season and the dance for a guy with 2 PPG his first two years? Crazy.

 

[Used 2 B Hu]

As long as we have the one-and-dones, very few teams/coaches will ever have a legit shot at a title. Best you can hope for is like Smart said, sneak in there one year when the BlueBloods don't have quite the stellar recruiting classes.

It's going to be Duke, UNC, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Florida for years to come. A few other teams will rotate in and out of that, but will still have to go through some combo of those five teams to win it all.

 

[UK Cowboy]

If so, it's gonna be awhile. Kaminsy and Dekker come along for Wisconsin once a decade, naybe

 

[Codaxx]

As long as we have the one-and-dones, very few teams/coaches will ever have a legit shot at a title. Best you can hope for is like Smart said, sneak in there one year when the BlueBloods don't have quite the stellar recruiting classes.

It's going to be Duke, UNC, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Florida for years to come. A few other teams will rotate in and out of that, but will still have to go through some combo of those five teams to win it all.

I think it is the exact opposite. Butler made 2 NC games this decade, smallest school to make it since 1970. VCU and Wichita State have made it to the Final 4. Teams like UK and DUke are very talented, but they are imperfect. They are filled with inexperience. Seems like a lot more mid-majors are making noise. Having 8 McDonald's All-Americans was not crazy in the 80s and 90s for blue bloods. Top 5 recruits came off the bench for those teams, as more experienced McDonald's All-Americans played the major minutes.

 

[jontaejones]

I think it is the exact opposite. Butler made 2 NC games this decade, smallest school to make it since 1970. VCU and Wichita State have made it to the Final 4. Teams like UK and DUke are very talented, but they are imperfect. They are filled with inexperience. Seems like a lot more mid-majors are making noise. Having 8 McDonald's All-Americans was not crazy in the 80s and 90s for blue bloods. Top 5 recruits came off the bench for those teams, as more experienced McDonald's All-Americans played the major minutes.

I agree.

The one and dones help the non-bluebloods.

Back when you had guys like Vince Carter staying three years, you could never hope to beat those guys.

The other thing to mention is that a team can become a blueblood. UConn used to be a joke and Florida was beyond a joke.

 

[ericd7633]

This was clearly their best shot to do so. They were fortunate, I guess if you want to say that, that Gasser tore his ACL or he would have graduated last year. Kaminsky is probably the best player Wisconsin has had under Bo and Dekker is probably the 2nd or 3rd best player under Bo. They were an upperclassman team, with two seniors coming off the bench, which is very rare(at least once Jackson got hurt)

They will most likely lose 5 of their top 7 off this team, without even a top 40 class coming in next year to reload so to speak.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[boogiewithstu2007]

Is Kaminsky coming back ?

 

[Tharvot]

Wisconsin will be good as long as Bo is there. Once he leaves, though...

 

[The Derski]

Is Kaminsky coming back ?

He's a senior.

 

[jonvi]

As a cuse fan....I can 100 percent tell you yes....one day you guys will get there. Getting as close as you guys did the last two years is an advertisment in itself.

And I sure am jealous that my boys haven't had anywere near the run Wisconsin has.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Well, wisconsin actually has won a national championship.

Granted it was during the wars and the tournament was tiny...but they do have a title lol.

as long as you are a solid program that can get some good recruits you got a shot.

 

[uncfan103]

As long as Bo Ryan stays there and the one and done thing is still around Wisconsin has as good a chance as anyone else, imo.

 

[uncfan103]

As long as we have the one-and-dones, very few teams/coaches will ever have a legit shot at a title. Best you can hope for is like Smart said, sneak in there one year when the BlueBloods don't have quite the stellar recruiting classes.

It's going to be Duke, UNC, Connecticut, Kentucky, and Florida for years to come. A few other teams will rotate in and out of that, but will still have to go through some combo of those five teams to win it all.

How in the world does UNC have a better shot at a title than Wisconsin other than the fact that UNC is a year, or maybe two, behind Wisconsin and could win one in the next two years? I believe they're both similar in the sense that they not getting one and done players and they've got good coaches. The talent level may not be as high at Wisconsin as it is at UNC but Bo Ryan has had teams overperform compared to their talent level whereas UNC has not performed as well as they've recruited. Wisconsin should be in the hunt years from now because they'll continue being one of the best coached, they'll have talent that fits the system, when the NCAA fixes the freedom of movement that is something that will likely help Wisconsin because it is going to open the floor up more which probably benefits their style. They won't be competing for a title next year, but they absolutely have as good of a chance as anyone else to win a title 3, 4, or 10 years from now.

 

[gpm1976]

I'm sitting here at the airport, still exhausted from staying up for the game last night, and it's just hitting me that this may have been the best shot they'll have. The Badgers won't ever get the elite recruits, they get to the Final Four because of coaching and lucking out with an occasional diamond in the rough. Kaminsky and Dekker are gone now, and the chances of us getting two of those guys on the same roster again, with experience under their belts, and such a strong supporting cast (Hayes, Gasser, Koenig, Jackson and Dukan are all really solid players), again while Bo is still coaching seem slight.

This was Wisconsin's year and I still think they had the best team (not the best collection of players, but best team). They just had an off shooting night, including free throws, and the 2nd half foul situation hurt. The Badgers deserved this one and it would have been transformational for the program.

I'm most annoyed about losing to Duke... self-described "college basketball royalty" with possibly the most arrogant and entitled fan base in all of sports (it's a close race between them and Notre Dame football fans). I can't think of a worse opponent to have lost this heartbreaker to.

Just a terrible end to a great season and tournament.

Yup, this is what sucks about sports in general. Knowing that your program can't compete unless the stars align and you get some luck on top of that. But this isn't limited to college. Pro sports are even worse!

 

[BUD]

I think Wisconsin will win a NC in cbk within the next 10 years. Never know

 

[boogiewithstu2007]

He's a senior.

That's a shame... I think that guy is gonna have a dam good NBA career.... Without him it's gonna be tough for Wisconsin to get back there next year....

 

[BigAppleBadger]

Wisconsin loses Kaminsky, Dekker, Josh Gasser, Duje Dukan and Traevon Jackson to graduation or the NBA. There's no way they're back next year.

They'll still be a tournament team behind Hayes and Bronson Koenig, but will only win a game or two.

 

[Beaker]

I agree with the OP. This was our best shot. Wisconsin does not get the top recruits and we have never had a players as good as Frank, and may never get one again. And to get Frank WITH an well above average supporting cast (for Wisconsin) was really a lucky break.

I will always hope, but I just don't think it will ever happen, in football or basketball.