From 1999-2017, the Wisconsin men’s basketball program had reached the NCAA tournament in 19 consecutive seasons, a streak that was upended last year during an injury-riddled season. Nevertheless, that near two-decade run placed Wisconsin in elite company — the Badgers were tied for the third-longest active tournament streak with fellow Big Ten powerhouse Michigan State and trailed only Duke and Kansas, two of the notorious “Blue Blood” programs.
The Blue Bloods’ decorated history and ability to guarantee success at the college level — paired with tremendous exposure, access and coaching (we’ll leave it at that) — leaves top-level recruits drooling at the opportunity to play for them.