Grantland article: "Wisconsin: The Most Boring Team in America"

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

There's only one aspect of Badger basketball (Bo Ryan basketball) that I envy in any way and that is how they value the basketball; consistently near the top in the nation in Turnovers. Granted, that number is going to be reduced in some way simply because of the reduced number of possessions due to the style of play. Nonetheless, they don't turn it over. That's impressive.

Their success is largely based on the Turnover aspect, to go along with the different style of play. It's not a style of play that you play against regularly so it's hard to prepare for. Princeton basketball, the Husker wishbone/veer offense under Osborne, etc. You don't play against it every week, it's hard to prepare for. Bo's struggles in the tournament are likley due in part to the fact (at least in First Round games) that their opponents have 4-5 days to prepare.

I'm impressed with how they value the basketball though. When you have that kind of turnover ratio, you're going to win a lot of games simply because you have that many more possessions.

Tubby's teams have been averaging around 14, as high as 15 TO's a game since he got to MN. If the Rodents can keep that number down near 12 or less in BT play, I think they can finish in the top half of the conference. History isn't on their side though.

 

[Ogee Ogilthorpe]

Tubby's up-temp teams have averaged 68, 66, 73, 69, and 71 points. Bo's offenses 67, 64, 67, 68, and 67. So it is 1,2,6,1,and 4 points more per game. So a couple years there were decent sized differences but 3 of the 5 years scoring was almost the same. I am not saying the Badgers are up-tempo but dont overstate how up-tempo and exciting the Gophers offense is.

Points per game, per possession, is not a very good reflection of tempo.

In the last few years, as Bo's teams have gotten less and less athletic, they've put up an INORDINATE amount of 3-pointers; sometimes more than half of their attempts. When you're chucking up such a huge percentage of 3's, your points per possession is obviously going to be affected.

This year, almost 40% of the Badgers shot attempts are 3-pointers (made 40%). For the Gophers, just over 25% of their attempts are 3-pointers (made 35%). That's a huge difference. They've basically made twice as many 3-pointers as the Gophers; 103 to 54.

 

[howeda7]

The Wisconsin-PSU game from the BTT still makes me shudder. It almost made me hate college basketball. Thanks Jon Voight.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Points per game, per possession, is not a very good reflection of tempo.

In the last few years, as Bo's teams have gotten less and less athletic, they've put up an INORDINATE amount of 3-pointers; sometimes more than half of their attempts. When you're chucking up such a huge percentage of 3's, your points per possession is obviously going to be affected.

This year, almost 40% of the Badgers shot attempts are 3-pointers (made 40%). For the Gophers, just over 25% of their attempts are 3-pointers (made 35%). That's a huge difference. They've basically made twice as many 3-pointers as the Gophers; 103 to 54.

Last season, Wisconsin averaged 8.2 made 3-pointers a game, where as the Gophers made just 4.9.

 

[OSUfan]

Give me Bo Ryan anyday, anyday, over Dick Bennett. What he did to college basketball was an abomination. I can not get over the fact that those football players in baketball drag, kept Gene Keady from reaching what would have been his only Final Four. The Skunks made the dance with Mark Vershaw - Mark freakin' Verhsaw - as a starter.

I think they scored <20 points in the Final Four semi in the 1st half, and barely broke 40 for the game. Sorry - going off memory; if I'm way off - I'm way off . . .

The ultimate "dumbing down" of what could be - and is - a beautiful game.

Also . . . Queue Tony Bennett for when Bo (What-do-you-mean-my-guy-committed-a-foul) Ryan steps aside.

Not only was Vershaw a starter, but he was their leading scorer on the season (and the only guy on the team that averaged double-digit points). They were trailing 19-17 at halftime vs. MSU in 2000 in the F4. Both teams were held under 35% shooting for the game, a 53-41 Spartan victory.
http://statsheet.com/mcb/games/2000/04/01/wisconsin-41-michigan-state-53

 

[Blackhammer]

They not only limits possessions but limit entertainment.They should go to a shot clock and call it the Bo clock.His players are about as athletic as we think they are,not very.Twenty point halfs are common for bucky and they are a blight on the game.They don't make threes and it's twenty points at half probably for both teams.What fun.For those that say it's not Bennett ball anymore there wrong.It is.