The 2020-21 season is going to be a tough one for the Wisconsin. The sort of year where you find yourself clicking over, just to see how Greg Gard’s #8 in the country basketball Badgers are doing.

The reason is fairly straightforward. Evan Wick is taking an Olympic redshirt. Trent Hillger is headed to Senior Nationals in Coralville, IA to see if he can cop some matching attire. The highest-ranked incoming freshmen are not planning to don the 'Motion-W' this season either. That leaves a lineup with very few notches on its collective belt.

This strategy would make sense in a non-pandemic year, with so much lineup uncertainty surrounding two proven commodities. Then, you consider that just last season, a year of eligibility went the way of moldy bread, hitting the trash before it could be fully enjoyed. The decision to take the conservative approach in the COVID haze that is the 2021 season is a no brainer.

But, this developmental season is not without stakes for the Badgers. Wisconsin’s status as one of the most consistent teams in NCAA history is on the line this season, as it is every season. Going back to 1973 (48 seasons), the Badgers have had at least one All American in every season but one (2004)!

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Wisconsin is not one of the two NCAA bluebloods. Not only has Oklahoma State had at least one All-American every year during that span, (except for 1993 when they were ineligible for the postseason), in 46 of the last 48 season seasons, there have been at least three Cowboys on the podium.  

Iowa is a level above that. In only 10 seasons over that 48-year span did a Hawkeye fail to win an NCAA championship, let alone be an All-American! The one and only time over those 48 years that they dropped below 3 AAs in a season was all the way back in 1973 when they had two, and that dip is partially explained by the fact that only the top-six place-winners were deemed “All-American” until 1979, when it was changed to eight.

After the blue bloods though, Wisconsin stands alone: One single season without an All American across 48 years and five coaches.

Trailing Wisconsin is Iowa State, with just two (recent) seasons without an All American. Then, comes Penn State and Michigan with three such campaigns, followed by Minnesota with four.

To keep a streak like that alive, it takes heroes. In 1981, 10-seeded John Iannuzzi notched three wins on the front side of the bracket to ultimately finish 5th. He was the only Badger to make the podium. In 1983, it was John Giura, a 12-seed that battled through the back side of the 142-pound bracket to finish 8th, again the only guy from the team on the podium. Before he won two titles for Wisconsin, Matt Demaray won four matches to finish 7th at the 1990 NCAA tournament, as his team’s lone All American that season. Ditto for Donny Pritzlaff in 1999, taking 5th the season before back-to-back titles for Wisconsin. Both Kevin and Tony Black took a turn as Wisconsin’s lone AA, in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

Maybe the biggest hero in keeping the streak going, and the one most analogous to the Badgers 2020-21 season, was unseeded Ben Jordan and his 2012 run. After departing assistant Donny Pritzlaff led All Americans Andrew Howe and Travis Rutt to transfer, Trevor Brandvold graduated, and Tyler Graff took an Olympic redshirt. Coming off a four AA / 10th place finish in 2011, Barry Davis was Old Mother Hubbard in 2012. In fact, Jordan was one of just two Badgers to even make the NCAA field.

And, the tournament for Jordan started the worst way possible, with a 4-1 loss to 2-seed Shane Onufer. From there, he ripped off four straight wins, including a 1-point win over 5-seed Mike Evans and a 4-point win over 3-seed Andrew Sorenson. After falling to the 7th-place match, he capped his run with a win over 9-seed Conrad Polz.

Who, for the Badgers, might be the Ben Jordan of 2021? The leading contender is incoming transfer, Chris Weiler. In 2018, an unseeded Weiler knocked off a 10-seed and 7-seed before falling by a single point to 2-seed, Ben Darmstadt. Then, his podium aspirations were ended with a one-point back side loss to Jacob Holschlag. In 2020, Weiler was a 13-seed, with a potential Round of 16 matchup with 4-seed Louie Deprez looming, who Weiler had defeated earlier in the season. Again, the lofty air of the podium escaped him, this time thanks to COVID.

Weiler enters the 2020-21 season ranked #13, weighing 184 pounds, and that’s without considering the weight of Wisconsin’s program history he carries.

Watch Weiler make the 2020 EIWA semifinals:

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Certainly, National Collegiate Open runner-up Kyle Burwick could put some matches together, come March. Garrett Model’s motor and gas tank could drive a trip to the podium. Ethan Rotundo was only one win from an NCAA birth two seasons ago. Stranger things have happened.

But, in all likelihood, the streak rests with Chris. Welcome to Wisconsin, Weiler!