As much as I can't stand the Badgers or the Grinch in particular, the guy is amazing. Looking at his record - he has three Big Ten Championships- regular season and two Big ten Tourney wins, plus he has been competing in the upper half of the Big Ten nearly every single year. He has done this with two NBA level players- Harris and Tucker. Tucker playing as a 6-6 center.
I see people say- if we only had Leuer or Taylor or Bergren or this guy or that from Minnesota.... I'm sure these guys would be fine additions to the Gophers, but I gotta give the lions share of the credit to Bo. The guy more consistently takes guys with some good basketball skills and makes them develop into something a lot better in his framework. They almost never have athleticism at the level of the top 5-6 teams.
So while we think this player or that from the Badgers would make the difference and that Tubby will now stop the flow of Minnesota players to Wisconsin, don't bet on it. I think Ryan will still get some guys from Minny that we pass on and make them Badger boreball greats. He's just totally a different style coach than Tubby or perhaps anybody in the Big Ten and he will make players that might not have been much in Tubby's system look great in his. Hoff has been very good for us- he'd have been lethal with Ryan's system. Watching them - they are so sure of what they are doing on each possession that it really helps this fairly average group of athletes - who are good to great shooters- excel as a team. I think it's more the system than the players.
Look at the kids that Bo has developed. Kam Taylor, Leuer, Jordan Taylor Butch, Wilkinson, Nankivil and a slew of other nameless guys that were not too good as freshmen all have eventually become very,very good players in his system. I can't say- as good as Tubby is- that he transforms players within his system to the degree that Bo has. Tubby recruits better athletes.
Again- I say all this while also saying that I can't stand Wisky or Bo. It's just the way it is.
I see people say- if we only had Leuer or Taylor or Bergren or this guy or that from Minnesota.... I'm sure these guys would be fine additions to the Gophers, but I gotta give the lions share of the credit to Bo. The guy more consistently takes guys with some good basketball skills and makes them develop into something a lot better in his framework. They almost never have athleticism at the level of the top 5-6 teams.
So while we think this player or that from the Badgers would make the difference and that Tubby will now stop the flow of Minnesota players to Wisconsin, don't bet on it. I think Ryan will still get some guys from Minny that we pass on and make them Badger boreball greats. He's just totally a different style coach than Tubby or perhaps anybody in the Big Ten and he will make players that might not have been much in Tubby's system look great in his. Hoff has been very good for us- he'd have been lethal with Ryan's system. Watching them - they are so sure of what they are doing on each possession that it really helps this fairly average group of athletes - who are good to great shooters- excel as a team. I think it's more the system than the players.
Look at the kids that Bo has developed. Kam Taylor, Leuer, Jordan Taylor Butch, Wilkinson, Nankivil and a slew of other nameless guys that were not too good as freshmen all have eventually become very,very good players in his system. I can't say- as good as Tubby is- that he transforms players within his system to the degree that Bo has. Tubby recruits better athletes.
Again- I say all this while also saying that I can't stand Wisky or Bo. It's just the way it is.