The regular season may be over, but for coach Bo Ryan and the No. 4 Badger basketball team the work has just begun.
Wisconsin will next play either Northwestern or Michigan State Friday in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Ryan said he hopes his team carries its defensive momentum into the United Center this weekend for what will hopefully be a stretch of three consecutive games.
""We might be having some struggles scoring, but we've also made it tough for other teams to get a lot of points per possession,"" Ryan said, pointing to the Badgers' efforts against Ohio State and Michigan State. ""There have been some pretty physical battles in the last three games.""
But despite strong defensive showings, Wisconsin has not scored more than 55 points in a game since Feb. 17 in a 75-49 victory over Penn State at the Kohl Center. Part of the problem, Ryan said, is the absence of junior forward Brian Butch, who was the team's third leading scorer before dislocating his elbow against Ohio State.
""He's still the big with the best touch,"" Ryan said of the 6'11"" Appleton native. ""So what you have to make up for is in stretching the defense.""
Still, Ryan said he is confident the team will find other ways to score while Butch is out.
""You deal with that, and you just get it elsewhere,"" he said.
Wisconsin will have to find another source of points soon, however, as they are likely to face Michigan State for the third time in two weeks Friday. The Spartans have slowed the Badgers' offense in both of the teams' meetings this year, forcing outside shots and taking control of the paint.
Ryan said he would prepare the team for Northwestern's backdoor screens in the event of a Wildcat victory but that Michigan State's playbook has become familiar over the last two games. He even compared the teams to RollerDerby rivals from the 1970s who seem to face each other every week.
In addition to beating a fierce rival and getting ready for the Big Ten Tournament over the weekend, Ryan and the Badgers also hosted a reporter from HBO Real Sports. As a fixture in the top 5 with only one McDonalds All-American (Butch) on the roster, Wisconsin has become a favorite of many sports commentators. Ryan, however, played down his role in representing the university.
""I'm just one coach of a sports team that's been playing pretty well,"" he said. ""I like the guys that we have and I like what they represent.""
Win or lose this weekend, the Badgers are on their way to one of the top seeds in the NCAA Tournament. While Ryan said he wasn't concerned with Wisconsin's seed, he did suggest the team should play in the Midwest as a reward for a strong season.
""If you could have a good year and have the parents of the players be able to get to those games, that's pretty special,"" he said.
Regardless of seeding or location, however, Ryan said the formula for winning the tournament is actually pretty simple, if not altogether easy to execute.
""You've got to win six games anyhow and just get on with it,"" he said.
