Ask millenial college basketball fans and they’ll tell you what a proud, nationally prominent program Wisconsin basketball is. Since they’re millenials, they’ll likely tell you how “on fleek” the Badgers were these past couple years, and then maybe give you a “shruggy guy” emoticon when you ask them why Badger basketball is so down this year.
Ask (quoting The Simpsons) “cynical members of generation X” what Wisconsin basketball is/was, and they’ll tell you about Dick Bennett and his unique brand of very bland stall ball building the program from absolute nothing into a regional power.
Maybe that Gen Xer will give you a sarcastic “yeah, groovy!” when you bring up the Grateful Red cheering section at Wisconsin basketball home games with their tie dye t-shirts.
Bo Ryan inherited the program from Bennett and took the Badgers up a few notches, from a regional power to national relevance. Ryan took Wisconsin basketball to the national title game last year, and the Final Four the previous year. He owned the Big Ten Tournament and Big Ten conference season.
Wisconsin’s best player in 2014-15, Frank Kaminsky, won the national player of the year award and became a NBA Draft Lottery pick. In the early 1990s, these concepts would have been unimaginable in Madison.
This year, at 9-9, with a league record of 1-4 and RPI of 111, they’re not a Badger ball team that millenials or Gen Xers recognize. Only baby boomers can remember a time when Sconnie hoops was this down (they’re best RPI win this year is Texas A&M-Corpus Christi). The only names you probably recognize on this team are Bronson Koening and Nigel Hayes.
They’re solid Big Ten players to be sure but, this year’s squad is a huge drop-off from last year’s national runner-up.
“The last two years they kind of had a once in a generational type team. They had so much talent,” Northwestern basketball coach Chris Collins said after his Wildcats defeated the Badgers tonight 70-65.
“They changed the way they played a little because they had so many pros. They’re kind of getting back to playing Wisconsin basketball.
I asked Collins to defend Wisconsin basketball.
“Lower possession games, kind of grinding them out,” he responded.
“They make you play possession basketball and no matter how hard you try you’re not going to speed them up. You’re going to have to beat them at their own game, and they’ve done a great job of that for the last 20 years, or for as long as I can remember.”
“You know when you’re playing Wisconsin you’re going to have to be really sharp on both ends. They’re going to make you pay for mistakes.”
Last year, when the Badgers came to town, Ryan revealed the secret to his success as under-promising and over-delivering. He said his philosophy is to make his opponents take long twos; don’t get beat by threes or inside. Obviously, Ryan’s decision to abruptly retire in mid-season has had a catastrophic effect on this team. Ryan wanted the current interim coach Greg Gard to take over the program full time. Athletic Director Barry Alvarez had other ideas.
Is that the real reason Bo Ryan decided to retire in mid-season, instead of at the end of the year? Therefore giving Gard a true chance to coach the team and show Alvarez what he can do?
Only Ryan knows for sure.
Gard was asked tonight if he looks at this season as a chance for him to audition in front of Alvarez. Is this his try-out to get the job full-time?
“I’ve always had a one year contract in my 26 year career,” he responded.
“I’ve never concerned myself with that because it’s my job to focus on these kids and this year, and that’s where I’m going to focus.”
So he evaded the question and instead recited press release boiler plate. That’s to be expected. Let’s credit Gard though for getting something else, and more important, correct. Adversity is the most disgustingly misused word in all of sports. You saw it egregiously by announcers, coaches and players in the national title game last night.
Idiots think adversity is something along the lines of trailing in a game, getting benched, having to transfer, or even worse, in some cases it’s problems brought on by the individual himself.
Greg Gard gets it. He, like other intelligent people, knows what adversity really is. Watch the video below:
Kudos to you Interim Wisconsin basketball coach Greg Gard, I wish more people could understand life and have the perspective that you do.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and sometimes writes The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. The website is also featured on News Now.
Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye. He also appears regularly on numerous television and radio talk shows all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 The Zone.
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