Is It Time To End The Bo Ryan Era?

I'll preface by saying I have been one of Bo Ryan's biggest supporters since his arrival to Madison in 2001 but, like everything in life, there's a time to move on.  The Badgers' most recent early exit from the tournament may, and in my opinion should, fire up the talks of finding a replacement for the long-time successful Badgers' basketball coach.  While those who remember Badger basketball pre-Bennett likely find this to be blasphemous, the direction of our basketball program must be called into question. 

Don't get me wrong, Bo Ryan has turned Wisconsin basketball into a perennial top-25 program.  Under Ryan, the Badgers have been to the NCAA Tournament all 12 years, as well as claiming 3 Big Ten regular season titles and 2 Big Ten conference tournaments titles.  Ryan has led the Badgers to ten 20-win seasons and is among the top in winning percentage among all D-1 coaches.  Needless to say, Bo Ryan is one of the best coaches in the country when it comes to regular season success.

That success, however, has gone in the other direction over the past few seasons.  This is a direct result of two trends, one which is changing and another that isn't.  During the last 10 years, the Big Ten has gone from one of the worst conferences in college basketball to arguably the best.  Teams like Michigan State and Ohio State continue to find success come tournament time.  Programs like Indiana and Michigan are rising back to national powerhouses as well.  So why have the Badgers stayed stagnant, placing 3rd or 4th in the conference each of the past 5 seasons?  Well the answer is simple - Bo Ryan refuses to change.

Division-1 college basketball is not the same game it was when Ryan took over a Badgers squad a year removed from a Final Four run.  That Badgers Final Four team was the epitomy of team basketball, a style which won championships.  However, as time changed and basketball became more about recruiting and less about style of play, Bo Ryan refused to change with the times.  The state of Wisconsin watched Marquette guard Vander Blue single-handedly avoid an upset just a day before they watched Wisconsin get upset.  For those that remember, Blue had committed to Wisconsin only to decommit later because of comments by Wisconsin fans... well, sort of.  Some people believe that was solely the reason the Madison native change his mind, but others believe there is more to the story. 

It isn't a secret that Bo Ryan makes sure everyone knows that he is in charge.  Unfortunately, this approach can be a red flag for recruits looking at Wisconsin.  Vander Blue used the "message board" debacle as a reason to decommit from the Badgers, but Ryan's unwillingness to adjust his style to accomodate a player of Blue's talent clearly weighed into the decision.  Additionally, Ryan has not made any attempts to dismiss the notion that he refuses to recruit players that don't fit his system.  Now isn't it a coaches job to recruit the best players and teach them how to succeed in the current system?  Or possibly to modify the current system to get the most out of the players you have in it?

The tip of the iceberg, when it comes to Ryan's lack of appeal to recruits, may have come last spring.  It may be a story in the past for most fans, but it's a story that competing coaches have not forgot and likely make sure recruits don't either.  Jarrod Uthoff, a redshirt freshman, announced that he planned to transfer from the Badgers.  In response, Bo Ryan blocked schools from communicating with Uthoff and only backed off when he subsequently found himself showered with media scrutiny.  Eventually, Uthoff transferred to Iowa without issue, but the episode is clearly ammunition for Big Ten coaches recruting against Ryan.

Ryan simply has run his course in Wisconsin.  He has built upon Dick Bennett's Final Four run and turned Wisconsin basketball into a winning program, but there are no signs that the program can take the next step under Ryan's control.  In their 12 NCAA tournament appearances under Ryan, the Badgers have only advanced past the Sweet 16 once, back in 2005.  As you can see below, much of Ryan's success in the Big Ten also came prior to the 2006 season, when he still had some of Dick Bennetts recruits and Devin Harris, who is unquestionably the best player to ever play under Ryan.

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
2001–02	Wisconsin	19–13	11–5	T-1st	NCAA 2nd Round
2002–03	Wisconsin	24–8	12–4	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2003–04	Wisconsin	25–7	12–4	T–2nd	NCAA 2nd Round
2004–05	Wisconsin	25–9	11–5	3rd	NCAA Elite Eight
2005–06	Wisconsin	19–12	9–7	T–4th	NCAA 1st Round
2006–07	Wisconsin	30–6	13–3	2nd	NCAA 2nd Round
2007–08	Wisconsin	31–5	16–2	1st	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2008–09	Wisconsin	20–13	10–8	T–4th	NCAA 2nd Round
2009–10	Wisconsin	24–9	13–5	4th	NCAA 2nd Round
2010–11	Wisconsin	25–9	13–5	3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2011–12	Wisconsin	26–10	12–6	4th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
2012–13	Wisconsin	23–11	12–6	T-4th	NCAA 2nd Round

If this isn't the end for Ryan, his last hope may rest on the shoulders of Sam Dekker. The Badgers have reached a plateau, one that only a superstar player, which goes against everything Ryan preaches, can get them beyond.  This may all just be the ranting of an upset Badger fan, but it should raise these questions to all Badger fans:

Are 20 win seasons and NCAA tournament bids enough?

Is Bo Ryan capable of taking the Wisconsin program to the next level?



I surely don't think so...