I didn't want to write it because I know the hellstorm will come shortly but I had to. I could not live with myself if I didn't mention it. The Badgers are a lousy NCAA Tournament team. Every year under Bo Ryan they seem to have a team that could be built for a deep run. Hell, I said it this year with the growing play of Jon Leuer and the deep bench. But like every year, the Badgers picked the NCAA tournament to lay their biggest egg of the season.
The ever faithful Wisconsin Badgers got beat by 22 by an Ivy League school. A team that has no athletic scholarships, rather academic all-stars. Only my fail bringing a girl from the bar was worse than the Badgers performance today. They didn't play defense, made silly turnovers, and Jason Bohannon's disappearing act was better than ever before. Cornell did shoot very well, but I would argue the Badgers' half-ass defense was the cause of the hot shooting, many times the Fightin' Nard Dogs were wide open. I said it when the Badgers won... I mean Wofford gave the game to Wisconsin. But can we all finally say that Bo Ryan is a great coach in the regular season but his teams/offense is not built for the postseason? I mean if you want me to bust out the statistics... well you ask for it.
2001-2002: Share of the Big Ten Title in a fairly weak season earned Wisconsin an 8 seed. The Badgers went on to win game one against St. John's and then blown out by the eventual National Champion Maryland.
2002-2003: Won the Big Ten Title outright, got a five seed where they beat a 12 seed and a 13 seed in Weber State/Tulsa. The Sweet 16 turns out bitter as they lose a close one to the overall number one Kentucky (then beat by Marquette.. whoops how did that get there!)
2003-2004: Won the Big Ten Conference Tournament but got screwed by the NCAA officials somewhat (people fail to point out they played in Milwaukee for the first two rounds, a 80 minute drive from Madison). They get beat at their own game by Pittsburgh.
2004-2005: Wisconsin finishes third in the Big Ten, still gives a six seed based on good conference tourney play. The Badgers cakewalk to the Elite Eight by beating 11 seed Northern Iowa, 14 Bucknell, 10 NC State then get beat by much much more athletic North Carolina team (EDIT: I read the score wrong, I apologize for the screw up, no they did have a lead on UNC late to my remembering the game clearer but still doesn't take away from their defeat) Face it, they get beat by Kansas or UConn had they won.
2005-2006: A down year for the program that leads to nine seed plus a twenty-point defeat in the NCAA Tournament to the Arizona Wildcats (Grandpa Dan tells me they don't get blown out... Child Please.)
2006-2007: Wisconsin gets their first number one ranking in history and get a two seed only to fall in the second round to UNLV in Chicago where it was likely 98% Badger fans. They couldn't score to save their souls, played asleep the entire game. I remember people telling me how this was their year and how bad they played against the Rebels.
2007-2008: Wisconsin earns another high seed and this appeared to be their year. They destroyed a much more athletic team in Kansas State with Michael Beasley/Bill Walker, then ran into a train known as Stephen Curry losing 73-56. I wouldn't expect Wisconsin to win that game but the defensive coaching of Ryan, I would have expected a closer game.
2008-2009: The Badgers sneak into the tourney as a 12 seed and advance with Trevon Hughes hitting a three at the buzzer which oddly enough was Ryan's first win in the NCAA against a seed 10 or higher. Then they lost to Xavier who had a great team.
I know people love the Swing Offense, a trademark of Bo Ryan but it doesn't work in the tournament. The pseudo Big 10 style that Michigan State and Ohio State run is the perfect example of why both of these teams find themselves in the Sweet 16 fairly often. As damning as it might be for Ryan, changes need to happen in the swing offense to make them work for the tournament. I know many Badger fans are okay with winning Big Ten titles and making the tournament every year, but when does that become just a standard and start expecting more? I assume that time is coming in the next two or three years. Once Bo Ryan makes it to the Final Four or a convincing deep run is the day I shut up regarding this topic.
-Charlie.
11 comments:
saying they got dismantled in '05 by NC is the most ridiculous statement i've heard in my life. 88-82 to the eventual national champions and one of the most talented teams of all time is pretty damn good. how'd marquette do in their game today?
Wisconsin was leading late in the game against North Carolina, so by no means is that getting blown out. That's probably your largest error amongst many. And to say that their journey to the elite eight was a cakewalk is total bullshit, there's no such thing as a cakewalk in the ncaa tourny. Lastly, please stop with the mindless assumptions. Face it they would have lost to Uconn or Kansas? Really, if it's ok to say things as stupid as that, then I'm going to make mindless assumptions. If Marquette didn't have Dwayne Wade they would have never beat anybody and their five tournament streak of never making it past the 2nd round would be much longer. Is that ok to say? Cause if it is, then there's one less thing wrong with your article.
Well it took a bunch of ridiculous statements but for once someone actually commented on your blog. Maybe no one actually wants the knowledge we wish we had.
I love the anonymous comments, just people without the balls to show who they are.
Anyways moving on, I screwed up on the score, my fault it was late... also my third post of the evening. I went in there and made my edits.
Answer me a couple questions/statements: One: "Does UW have a Final Four appearance under Bo Ryan?" No, they do not and compare that with what the other schools in your conference are doing... that's pretty weak.
Two: "How can you defend beating an 11/14/10?" Could that team beat UConn/Kansas? Sure. I just used prior knowledge of the Badgers inabilities against more athletic teams in the posteseason.
To final person, look honestly I pointed out something that is a touchy subject to Badger fans and you guys got pissed. Sorry, but at some point you have to want more from your program.
-Chuck
PS I realize MU cant get out of the second round, they have no mental toughness.
It can get frustrating not making it to the Final Four, but I think most Badger fans would be pretty damn happy with the state of the program. You're writing this article as if you "know how we feel" and as if you're saying what all Badger fans have been holding back on saying this. That just isn't true. Badger fans are very happy with Bo. We'll leave all the "walking it out" and thugnastiness to the Golden Eagles.
Hey Chuck,
Thought I would comment on the blog as well lol. First things, I would have to agree with alot of the things you said. After watching the Badgers in the tourney, I could not help but think about how much more we have to improve as a team. We are slow, and non-athletic (TJ is our best defender for example). I mean we barely got passed Wofford and got spanked by Cornell. Not acceptable in any standard.
Besides Jon Leuer (who was the only brightspot on the team), the team itself is not capable of making a serious NCAA tourney run. The Badgers are built for the Big Ten season and not the NCAA tournament. Yes, when you give us three or more days to prepare for a team we can make it a game, when we have home-court advantage we can play with alot of teams (Duke),but when we play teams that are good back-back and more athletic, it's going to be a long shot for winning and that's what happens every year to the Badgers.
Now with the point of Bo Ryan, I understand that he doesn't have a final four or a national championship but, I don't know if that is entirely his fault or the schools.
Here is my point, Ryan's recruits certain players that fits his style of play. They aren't the best but, he gets the best out of them. Joe Krabby wasn't even recruited to one D-1 school and I thought he was a hell of a player. The problem is the fact that he ISN'T getting the best players in the country every year because he just can't and won't. Is it because he doesn't try hard enough or what? (This sounds like a excuse but here me out).
Wisconsin isn't the most attractive place to come to play college basketball. Sure its a awesome party school but, why don't top-rated players in the state of Wisconsin even sign with the Badgers? What I think is that Bo likes the guys who don't get the attention hype out of high school and creating them into something nobody thought they would be and in some sense that may be more fulifulling to him than a national championship or final four. Sadly enough for Badger nation this may be the truth. I root and root for them to make a run but when it comes down to it, we just don't have the personal to do it. Either we need to get better players or Badger fans can only expect a good Big Ten Title run and possibly moving past the second round in the NCAA tourney.
Oh yeah, maybe if you would have expressed your views in a nicer manner, people wouldn't get mad lol....
P.S. (The Badgers still beat Marquette this year!!! HAHAH)
Your bud,
Hause
Once again, gotta love the anonymous comments. I am just expressing opinions I have heard on the beautiful campus of UWEC. Also nice racist stab at Marquette...sweet.
Hause I liked a lot of what you said and agree with most of it although by now, I feel Wisconsin is an attractive place to play basketball because of their standard success in the regular season. I would also argue that the reason why it's not attractive is due to the offense they run.
Trevon Hughes/Jerry Smith were top recruits in WI and same with J.P. Tokoto who is top 10 in the nation right now. So to say top guys don't want to come there is false.
-Chuck.
Just for the record Jared, Joe Krabbenhoft was in fact recruited and offered by many D-1 schools, including Kansas.
http://collegebasketballnews.scout.com/2/207003.html
Sincerely,
Facts and Research
well since everyone else commented i think i will too lol first of all most of there tournament losses were against quality and far superior teams athletically which u admitted a nat champ a number one overall and obviously north carolina which was a close game for the most part. while they have had there slip ups who hasnt look at kansas. second the combo of ryans standards for character and always trying to find hidden gems and unattractive swing offense for big time players will most likely stop the badgers from making many tourny runs. you of all ppl should know how few of teams make regular deap runs in the tourny even the dukes and kansas' of the world get knocked out early everyonce in a while. but i will agree with ur comment on bohannon his inconsistent shooting cost or almost cost the badgers of few games. i never understood why he plays almost 40 min a game i know its now for his defense
Hey that's actually pretty cool Joe Krabby was recruited too those major schools. My bad, I thought he wasn't really recrutied that he heavily out of high school. Now I know I guess lol
Maybe we should talk about how Marquette has done worse than Wisconsin has in the past four tournaments. Wouldn't go crazy about Wisconsin choking when Marquette hasn't even got to a choking level status.
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