Has the tide finally turned in the U-M/Wisc bball series?
February 11th, 2018 at 3:39 PM ^
If Wisconsin continues to be this shitty going forward, then yeah I would say so
February 11th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^
But seems to be more of an indictment on them than anything. I love Coach B, and I love our trajectory, but Wisconsin is changing the tide for us.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:41 PM ^
Not yet necessarily. The recent success is mainly because lately, Wisconsin absolutely sucks
February 11th, 2018 at 5:38 PM ^
team for much of last year, and made it to the BTT finals and the sweet 16. They were good last year and our two wins against them were impressive because we were even better.
They are horrible this year, yes, but they were good last year.
February 12th, 2018 at 12:21 AM ^
Without players Bo Ryan progressed I like our chances. With coach B I feel we can continue a streak against the Badgers.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
It could easily be four in a row. The game in Madison last year was topped only by the Minnesota debacle in terms of shitty reffing. Wisconsin is what a team looks like when they can't recruit and the new coach is trying to emulate the former one. Terrible defensively and (today excluded) they really can't shoot. Teams have been destroying Wisky by doubling Happ and having him turn it over or pass to open shooters who brick shot after shot. I was mad we played Happ one on one, but they had some hot shooting today so maybe it was good they didn't trade Happ's twos for WhiteGuyShooter(TM) threes.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:43 PM ^
One thing that has not changed: absolutely horrific officiating at the Kohl Center. Happ elbowed Wagner virtually every single possession in the post. Never called. And the Davison 3-point leg kick was one of the worst calls I have ever seen.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:48 PM ^
I think a blind person could've made the correct call on the Davison leg kick. Officials really do their best to ruin college sports.
February 11th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^
And Kohl Center was 75% full. It's not as if the home crowd was getting on the refs.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:44 PM ^
They were overdue for a bad year, they will be back. Fortunately we will likely take a step forward next year as well.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
If Bo Ryan were still their coach I'd be confident expecting them to bounce back, but with him gone, I think it's up in the air. Especially with Happ probably gone.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:59 PM ^
Don't want them to be so bad that they fire the coach
February 11th, 2018 at 4:04 PM ^
Wisconsin hoops doesn't have the structural advantages that other B1G schools (including Michigan) have. Yet, they were great for 15-20 years. That's mostly due to their coaches.
With more typical coaches, they're probably a mid-tier conference team. As they were under Stu Jackson and Stan Van Gundy (yep, he was the UW coach before Bennett).
February 11th, 2018 at 4:16 PM ^
Ryan was a HoF coach and kept Wisconsin very good for a very long time. They need to change coaches but HoF coaches aren't easy to find. Wisconsin was Rutgers-level bad before Bennett/Ryan and all signs point to them going back there.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:16 PM ^
I remember that Van Gundy was an assistant under Jackson, then Stu Jackson left to become the GM of an expansion NBA franchise, leaving Stan in charge of a team with Michael Finley on it. I think that Wisconsin team ended up with a losing record and Van Gundy was canned after just the one season too. It worked out for him - and Wisconsin, with the Bennett hire - in the long term.
February 11th, 2018 at 9:52 PM ^
I was taking part in their engineering school as part of my exchange program. Besides Finely, they had a really good center, Rashard Griffith. Finley became an NBA star, Griffith played in Europe for a while I believe.
February 11th, 2018 at 5:04 PM ^
That was true 20 years ago, but Wisconsin is a big time athletic program now, as opposed to the 3rd rate program pre-Alvarez/Pat Richter (their AD). They are now the first choice for most recruits out of Wisconsin and one of the top choices for recruits out of the surrounding states. Their situation is much better than it was 25 years ago, even with a 2nd rate coach.
February 11th, 2018 at 5:48 PM ^
not necessarily anymore.
This cycle the three 4-star players from Wisconsin signed with Kentucky, Marquette and WVU. Wisconsin signed no players from Wisconsin and only got two 3-stars (from MI and MN) for the 75th overall class and 12th (!!) in the big ten.
Last year Iowa State got the only 4-star from Wisconsin. UW did get Davison and Reuvers who were 4-stars from MN last year it wasn't a two year slump but it'll be interesting to see what happens with the 2019 class coming off this bad season.
February 11th, 2018 at 7:11 PM ^
is overall in much better shape than 20 years ago, they're still just one bad hire in each revenue sport from slipping back towards the mediocrity from which they came.
Besides Basketball, which has had a very nice 20+ year run under Dick Bennett and Bo Ryan, Wisky has had even longer good-to-very-good stretches in Football (Alvarez, then Bielema, then two years of Gary Anderson [until he fled largely because playing school IS important at UW], and now Paul Chryst), and in Men's Hockey.
While Wisky Football has benefited greatly from being in the weaker B1G West since realignment, they appear to be in good hands to continue winning under Chryst, who seems capable of maintaining what Alvarez built.
I'm not as sure about the future of Wisconsin Hockey. Under Tony Granato (his coaching resume looks pretty "meh" to me) they haven't impressed me yet. And with ND, Minnesota, and an improving Michigan program likely to be stronger than Wisky in the long run, the Badgers seem destined to spend a lot of time in the middle of the pack in the B1G.
Wisconsin Basketball looks the most vulnerable right now of revenue sports. They're an awful team right now (yeah, injuries), but the talent pipeline seems to be shriveling up and the Greg Gard era is seemingly NOT heading in a positive direction. Unless Gard quickly turns things around over the next couple seasons, he won't last. If IU, with a much longer and richer basketball tradition than Wisky, can struggle under mediocre coaches, then you better believe that Wisconsin can quickly fall towards the bottom of the B1G.
February 12th, 2018 at 9:16 AM ^
I'd disagree on this one. Besides Michigan and Ohio State, Wisconsin's fanbase for the two revenue sports combined is probably the strongest overall in the conference. And unlike Michigan, they don't have any true, threatening rivals that can depress morale with a dominant stretch.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:04 PM ^
Where's Happ going? Certainly not the NBA
February 11th, 2018 at 4:07 PM ^
No NBA team wants a big guy with those skills? I'd be surprised.
Even if he stays, fine, they get one more year out of him, but I don't see too much else in the pipeline.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^
I think he has a great inside game, but teams seem to be really hesistant to take anyone who can't shoot. I just see him unable to step out and be able to guard any shooter and I feel like he can get taken off the dribble too easily. Great college player tho
February 11th, 2018 at 4:41 PM ^
He is about 6' 8" and thin. I agree, his game doesn't translate to the NBA, unless he gets to bring today's officials with him.
February 11th, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^
he won't be able to post up NBA bigs so there's really no place for him. Can't shoot well enough to make it as a wing right now. Maybe he gets that skill in the next year, but unlikely.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:46 PM ^
I'll take a win at Wisconsin any day. Even If they are down this year.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:47 PM ^
I don’t expect Wisconsin to be that much better next year.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:47 PM ^
Not fooling me with this super bowl commercial
February 11th, 2018 at 3:47 PM ^
Their coach is butt and ours is not so that's going to be big part of it going forward. I hope it turns out like Illinois where we routinely kick their teeth in
February 11th, 2018 at 4:04 PM ^
I think I’m more happy about the Illinois situation than any thing else. They used to be impossible now there just lol
February 11th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
Hell people in Stevens Point are starting to believe it. Never in a million years I would've thought that. Double digits wins in the trohl center is a good start.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:33 PM ^
Something something even jersey sales something...
February 11th, 2018 at 7:25 PM ^
Dirtiest basketball program in d3. Have they taken down that banner they won in 2005 yet via cheating ?
February 11th, 2018 at 3:51 PM ^
You lose maybe the best coach in your program's history and replace him with a perfectly fine but unspectacular assistant, a downturn is not unexpected.
I think Michigan has gotten better and Wisconsin has gotten worse. That's usually how rivalries go; rarely are both teams at their peak at the same time. But if it means Michigan can beat the Badgers a couple more years before they get back on their feet, that isn't a bad thing.
February 11th, 2018 at 3:56 PM ^
Have we even started selling jerseys in Wisconsin yet?
February 11th, 2018 at 4:18 PM ^
That would be a good start.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:03 PM ^
Good great now you jinxed it thanks
February 11th, 2018 at 4:45 PM ^
Nah, the jinx is when you post it while the game's going on...
February 11th, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^
those cheese-eating surrender monkeys shall never triumph again!
February 11th, 2018 at 4:06 PM ^
Actually if you think about talent Wisconsin always over achieved every year with Ryan as their coach. Now there getting back to reality. Recruiting is important when you have a nobody as your head coach
February 11th, 2018 at 4:15 PM ^
I didn't know it was that bad previously (though I certainly remember the Gasser/Brust shots), but it sure looks like they're not the same program without Bo Ryan.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:20 PM ^
Are Michigan jerseys selling like hotcakes in Wisconsin? Never in a million years...
February 11th, 2018 at 4:34 PM ^
No, they are selling like cheese curds.
February 11th, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
Came here for this comment and wasn’t disappointed. Possibly my favorite MGoMeme of all time.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:26 PM ^
It is my belief that bar the occasional upset, WI might never beat us again in men's bb.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:29 PM ^
Soooooo..... Last three games 2-1. We get a wrap up for the loss. What gives.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:42 PM ^
Bitchin. Works every time.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:52 PM ^
....and its gone. Im confused.
February 11th, 2018 at 4:47 PM ^
I wouldn't read too much into one result. Things can change quickly in basketball.
February 11th, 2018 at 5:00 PM ^
It's three in a row against them now, actually.