Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/118115
THE VOICE M AT T LE PAY ��� VOIC E OF T H E B A DGERS Badgers made the most of what they had A couple of days after seeing his team bow out of the NCAA tournament, Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan could offer up some dry humor regarding his basketball team���s inconsistent shooting. He acknowledged how much he appreciated the players��� hard work and perseverance. Then, with a wry grin, Ryan added that fans have been great as well ��� ���All except for the mail I keep getting, all the people that want to play ���H-O-R-S-E��� against my guys.��� Flagrant One on Coach Ryan. During his final weekly radio show of the season, Ryan turned a bit more serious. ���I am extremely proud of their effort. The way they hung together. You know, we rode them pretty hard,��� he said. ���We tried to get the most out of them that we could. Tried to prod, (give them) a few ���atta boys.��� But some players definitely developed that I think will help us next year.��� College basketball���s season ends suddenly. At least for those teams who make postseason play, only to be stopped short of cutting down the nets. It can be cruel, and such was the case for the Badgers last Friday in Kansas City. Make no mistake, Ole Miss is good, but the Badgers have beaten better teams. They also have lost to teams that probably are not as good as the Rebels. As the West Region appeared to have opened up last weekend, 18 �� VARSITY MAR CH 28, 2013 it can make us wonder what if the Badgers had just found a way to make some shots. Might they be in line for a path through Los Angeles to Atlanta? On the other hand, we can look back and say, wow ��� a team that shot 42 percent from the field managed to win 23 games, swept Indiana and Michigan, dismantled Ohio State at the Kohl Center and very nearly won the Big Ten tournament title. That simply is not College basketball���s season ends suddenly. It can be cruel, and such was the case for the Badgers last Friday in Kansas City. supposed to happen. In fact, going back to the late 60s, only Dick Bennett���s Badgers of the 1996-97 season won more games than it lost while shooting at such a clip. That group shot just 41 percent from the floor but went 18-10, including an 11-7 Big Ten mark. Otherwise, a shooting percentage that low generally means a sub-.500 record. It is a credit to this year���s group that it understood both its strengths and its weaknesses, and pushed every day to get the most out of what it had to give. Of course, that usually starts with the seniors. ���The seniors knew they had a chance,��� said Ryan. ���They made a run, and held up their end of the deal. Even thought a lot of heads were hanging, when each guy looked at himself and said ���Boy, if I just could have made a shot or two.��� ���It was kind of a collective shooting problem in our last game, but definitely it is a pretty good group.��� So to that group ��� Jared Berggren, Mike Bruesewitz, Ryan Evans, Dan Fahey and J.D. Wise ��� we say thank you. For those coming back, it will be interesting to watch how they grow. It is no secret that Sam Dekker has a chance to be special. Frank Kaminsky is very skilled. Josh Gasser continues his road to recovery. The list goes on and on. The growth of Traevon Jackson was encouraging. ���I���ve heard from more people,��� said Ryan. ���They think his (Jackson���s) development was, by far, more than any other player we have had within one year. ���I will let other people judge that. I���m still on him about the things that I need to be on him about. Because that is my function in life ��� to help you get better.��� As the year rolled along, this team did get better. With the returning talent, and the newcomers soon to join the program, there is good reason to look forward to ���next.���