I really think if there is any program we should try to emulate its Wisconsin...we have the same type of players and the article points out how they have been successful...by playing really, really , really boring basketball...more at the link
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/12315/wisconsin-the-most-boring-team-in-america
On Tuesday night, the Badgers survived against UW-Milwaukee, Ryan's former team, winning 60-54. Before we get into that, though, I'd like to take you back to the evening of Nov. 30, when the Badgers visited Chapel Hill. I wrote about the game here, and would like to revisit one particular scene:
Carolina fans have a habit of ratcheting up the noise when the opponent's shot clock nears the 10-second mark, and usually they've got it right; if a team can't create a shot by then, they're out of sorts and close to panic. But it slowly dawned on the Heel faithful that their cheers were misplaced against Wisconsin.
The reason the cheers were off-base was that Ryan's Badgers usually don't shoot until the very end of the shot clock. And while the game against Carolina was a fascinating clash of styles (the Tar Heels are one of the 10 fastest teams in the country, and they won that game 60-57), a harrowing thought occurred to me afterward -- what if every team played like Wisconsin?
Frankly, there's no reason they shouldn't. Ryan has had unbelievable success since he took over in 2001, winning three Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten tournament championships, and earning an NCAA berth every single year. His resume in March has been a bit disappointing -- the Badgers have reached the Elite Eight just once, and they've lost in the first or second round in six of his ten years -- but the continued success of Ryan's teams can't be questioned.
And how has he done it? What do I mean when I say “play like Wisconsin� Ryan's style, first and foremost, is a matter of pace. More to the point, his teams play slow, boring basketball. It's Ryan's way of neutralizing talent; according to ESPN's rankings, he hasn't had a Top 25 recruiting class in the past six years. And I'm not even sure he's trying. Instead, he goes after players who fit his system, and spends his time grooming them to be efficient upperclassmen. This year follows form; of the six players who earn the most minutes per game, four are juniors or seniors, and none are freshmen.
And all of them play at a snail's pace. There are currently 345 teams in Division I, and of those, Wisconsin ranks 345th in adjusted tempo, per Ken Pomeroy. Even without adjusting for the pace of an opponent, Wisconsin averages just 60.2 possessions per game, third-lowest in the country. And it goes without saying that if Wisconsin manages just 60 possessions per game, that's exactly what the other team is getting.
As far as I can tell, the reasoning behind Ryan's system is two-fold:
1. It frustrates the opposing offense. When a team fails to score against Wisconsin, it knows it have to wait at least 30 seconds before it gets another chance. The pressure mounts on every possession, and small deficits suddenly loom large. Ryan recruits strong, tough defenders, and their stinginess only augments that aura of impenetrability.
2. It wears down the defense. By forcing a team to defend for 30 seconds on almost every possession, Ryan exposes flaws in the opponent that tend to become exaggerated by mental and physical fatigue as the game goes along. The withering persistence clearly takes its toll on the defense, but there's a less obvious effect on offense; when a team is preoccupied on one end, it becomes more prone to errors and quick shots on the other, which plays right into Wisconsin's hands.
Three scores from this season demonstrate the extent to which the Badgers change the way basketball is played.
1. UNLV 90, UNC 80
2. UNC 60, Wisconsin 57
3. Wisconsin 62, UNLV 51
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/12315/wisconsin-the-most-boring-team-in-america
On Tuesday night, the Badgers survived against UW-Milwaukee, Ryan's former team, winning 60-54. Before we get into that, though, I'd like to take you back to the evening of Nov. 30, when the Badgers visited Chapel Hill. I wrote about the game here, and would like to revisit one particular scene:
Carolina fans have a habit of ratcheting up the noise when the opponent's shot clock nears the 10-second mark, and usually they've got it right; if a team can't create a shot by then, they're out of sorts and close to panic. But it slowly dawned on the Heel faithful that their cheers were misplaced against Wisconsin.
The reason the cheers were off-base was that Ryan's Badgers usually don't shoot until the very end of the shot clock. And while the game against Carolina was a fascinating clash of styles (the Tar Heels are one of the 10 fastest teams in the country, and they won that game 60-57), a harrowing thought occurred to me afterward -- what if every team played like Wisconsin?
Frankly, there's no reason they shouldn't. Ryan has had unbelievable success since he took over in 2001, winning three Big Ten regular season championships, two Big Ten tournament championships, and earning an NCAA berth every single year. His resume in March has been a bit disappointing -- the Badgers have reached the Elite Eight just once, and they've lost in the first or second round in six of his ten years -- but the continued success of Ryan's teams can't be questioned.
And how has he done it? What do I mean when I say “play like Wisconsin� Ryan's style, first and foremost, is a matter of pace. More to the point, his teams play slow, boring basketball. It's Ryan's way of neutralizing talent; according to ESPN's rankings, he hasn't had a Top 25 recruiting class in the past six years. And I'm not even sure he's trying. Instead, he goes after players who fit his system, and spends his time grooming them to be efficient upperclassmen. This year follows form; of the six players who earn the most minutes per game, four are juniors or seniors, and none are freshmen.
And all of them play at a snail's pace. There are currently 345 teams in Division I, and of those, Wisconsin ranks 345th in adjusted tempo, per Ken Pomeroy. Even without adjusting for the pace of an opponent, Wisconsin averages just 60.2 possessions per game, third-lowest in the country. And it goes without saying that if Wisconsin manages just 60 possessions per game, that's exactly what the other team is getting.
As far as I can tell, the reasoning behind Ryan's system is two-fold:
1. It frustrates the opposing offense. When a team fails to score against Wisconsin, it knows it have to wait at least 30 seconds before it gets another chance. The pressure mounts on every possession, and small deficits suddenly loom large. Ryan recruits strong, tough defenders, and their stinginess only augments that aura of impenetrability.
2. It wears down the defense. By forcing a team to defend for 30 seconds on almost every possession, Ryan exposes flaws in the opponent that tend to become exaggerated by mental and physical fatigue as the game goes along. The withering persistence clearly takes its toll on the defense, but there's a less obvious effect on offense; when a team is preoccupied on one end, it becomes more prone to errors and quick shots on the other, which plays right into Wisconsin's hands.
Three scores from this season demonstrate the extent to which the Badgers change the way basketball is played.
1. UNLV 90, UNC 80
2. UNC 60, Wisconsin 57
3. Wisconsin 62, UNLV 51
