No disrespect to Coach K and the Blue Devils, who played masterfully, but if there were truly  basketball gods, they would have found a way for Bo Ryan’s Badgers to win the national championship.  Ryan’s quest for that elusive division one title fell short, but his team delivered a semester’s worth of lessons for parents, players and coaches.

His textbook team was therapy for the state of cheese heads still grumpy from the Packers’ loss to Seattle.  With each win the Badger bandwagon grew.  They even drew in a hockey coach who hasn’t watched an entire basketball game since Lew Alcindor roamed the Milwaukee Arena floor.   

It wasn’t the games that pulled me in, because I don’t enjoy the free throw shooting contest separated by far too many time outs that closes every close game, but the methods of Coach Bo Ryan and the storylines that emerged.  One by one this group of blue collar Badgers checked off every bullet point on how to build a successful team.  Unselfish, disciplined, fundamental, unified, poised, competitive, hardworking, confident, prepared—pick a desirable adjective—they had them all. 

As a high school coach for the past thirty years I appreciate how difficult it is to build a unified team in a  me-first society enamored with building false self-confidence and addicted to instant gratification.  It is a monumental and rare accomplishment achieved by great coaching, self-less players and supportive parents.

It starts with an exceptional coach that recruits character above all else.  Bo Ryan is more concerned with your work ethic, your grades and the way you treat your parents than your shooting percentage.  Ryan has brought exactly one McDonald’s All American to Wisconsin in his fourteen seasons.

Ryan is a coach that always has his team prepared.  Whether it is 16th seeded Coastal Carolina or undefeated Kentucky the detailed preparation for every opponent is the same.  His practices look like a scene from “Hoosiers” as he demands that his team conquer the fundamentals of the game.  However, unlike Gene Hackman, Ryan has also adapted to change and allowed his team to enjoy the journey—in short have some fun.    

With Ryan you get the feeling that swimming at the motel pool would be allowed.

Discipline on both ends of the court is a Ryan trademark.  No team took care of the basketball better and offensively they had the patience to wait out rush hour traffic in Chicago.  On defensive they stifle you with meticulous footwork and the methodical body position of a yoga instructor. 

Ryan’s “old school” methods produce modern day success.

It gets even better when you talk about his players.  There is reigning player of the year Frank Kaminsky, who was barley recruited out of high school.  Averaging less than ten minutes a game as a freshman and sophomore, Kaminsky didn’t pout, or quit or threaten to transfer.  He went to work and turned himself into the best player in college basketball.  A truly amazing transformation built from sacrifice and hard work.

Said Kaminsky, “I just believed in the process.”

That process is a step too many parents and athletes think they can by-pass.  Aftera heartbreaking loss last season to Kentucky, and the NBA calling his name, Kaminsky decided he had unfinished business and returned for his senior year.  Short of mowing Ryan’s yard this kid from Lisle, Illinois has been the textbook player.  Every coach in America wants players like Kaminsky who understand their development is a journey filled with roadblocks, failure and learning. 

Stumbling and falling down are part of that process and also opportunities to start again with more experience and knowledge.  A lesson for the parents who want to hover and protect.

These Badgers played with togetherness and an unselfishness that is uncommon in the modern basketball culture.  They come at you with waves of talented role players that execute their jobs to perfection.  They truly don’t care who gets the recognition.

As a coach and a parent I never take for granted the class and character displayed on the biggest athletic stages.  When senior point guard Traevon Jackson returned from a nineteen game injury absence his first concern was not his playing time.  He willingly took a backseat to sophomore Brandon Koenig who had stepped up and led the team.  Jackson did not want to be a distraction. 

Being a great teammate isn’t just about your skill, but your willingness to put the team first.

Following the loss Monday, Nigel Hayes was asked if he was returning for his junior year   “You watched that game,” he said.  “I’m nowhere near good enough to do anything but come back.” 

Refreshing humility and honesty from an athlete in a sport that promotes a lot of chest pounding and cutting school before graduation.

Bo and his Badgers will mourn the end of their amazing season as every team does, but their journey, albeit one step short of their destination was an experience that energized and educated all of us. 

In an era dominated by cell phones and the internet, these guys played it by the book.

The textbook.

Dan Bauer is a free-lance writer, teacher & hockey coach in Wausau, WI.  You can contact him at dbauer@wausauschools.org.