For the 15th straight season, the Wisconsin Badgers will play in the NCAA tournament. And they’re 10-1 in their tournament-opening games since Bo Ryan took over. That said, the Badgers haven’t been to the Elite Eight since 2005. Might that change given the nature of this year’s West Region? We’ll see; Wisconsin has to get by Ole Miss first.
Bo Ryan joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM to discuss Wisconsin’s 15th straight NCAA tournament appearance, his response to those who say the Big Ten is overrated, getting scouting reports on Big Dance opponents and the need for smart players on the court.
How proud is Wisconsin and how proud are you that the program has been in the NCAA tournament 15 straight years?:
“Nobody said it was easy, but just watching these guys take pride in the fact that the guys before them dropped a lot of sweat on the practice floor and they’re continuing the tradition. The players, this year we had a tough go of it early and just got better and were able to have a pretty good Big Ten year. Of course, our conference was probably the toughest since I’ve been in it. They’ve earned their way in, but now it’s that part of the season where you go one bad night and you’re watching the rest of the tournament.”
How do you respond to those who say the Big Ten is overrated?:
“Living here in the Midwest, I’ve never heard that. Plus, I don’t listen to much. … But what’s great is everybody does have an opinion and it makes college basketball such an interesting subject for six months, seven months, and then you go into the recruiting in the summer.”
How does it work this time of year when it comes to calling colleagues and getting scouting reports on Ole Miss?:
“I already had two DVDs that were burned after our game yesterday. … On the ride home, I had already watched and broke down Vanderbilt and Ole Miss and Florida and Ole Miss. So I’ve seen enough.”
Does the pressure and stock put in the NCAA tournament perhaps overshadow or diminish the success teams have in the regular season?:
“I think if you’re a player, and you’re playing for the right reasons, which our guys are … they take pride in every game, whether it’s in November or whether it’s in March. … I would disagree. I think they do take a lot of pride in what happens during the regular season, because if you don’t take care of business there, you’re not playing this time of the year.”
On the importance of having smart players, particularly this time of year:
“You do have to have guys who believe in your system. First of all you have to have your basic defense and basic offense, and then the tweaks that come in based on opponents and based on game-time changes. If you’re changing a whole lot every game, you’re not going to be a very consistent team. If you have your core build-in … then if there’s a guy who has hit a couple 3s, you’ve got to run him off the line. In the scouting report, the guy might be 1 for his last 25 … and he’s come from out of nowhere. But then, in the game, guys can make that adjustment, too, if you have smart players.”
