Bo Ryan - Sore Loser

[Silk31]

Did Bo Ryan really handle this loss as the ultimate sore loser? What is with these big name coaches not being able to handle defeat in the tourney. I know that emotions are super high at the times of these post game interviews but how does he complain about foul calls (not even the blown out of bounds calls) when Wisconsin was whistled the least in college bball all year long?

"It was just a situation where you just have to be able to handle all the hands and the checking. All the body contact -- there was more body contact in this game than in any game we've played all year, and I just feel sorry for my guys that all of a sudden, a game was like that. I think they're struggling with that a little bit."


He is also a big time hypocrite in saying he doesn't "Rent-a-player". He was in the final 2 for Diamond Stone who is 98% a one and done prospect and would have welcomed him with open arms.

"All the seniors that I've had -- hard to say the word. But every player that's played through the program, okay, we don't do a rent-a-player. You know what I mean? Try to take a fifth-year guy. That's okay. If other people do that, that's okay. I like trying to build from within. It's just the way I am. And to see these guys grow over the years and to be here last year and lose a tough game, boom, they came back."


Much like Izzo has complained after we beat them in MSG and after this year's defeat, this is some poor sportsmanship from some highly regarded and well respected coaching figures. Lead by example - the game was lost when you let Allen go on a 8-0 run with Okafor and Winslow on the bench and you had them on the ropes. Even if those zebras make some calls differently, this game still belonged to Duke

 

[UConn990411]

Reminds me of Harbaugh complaining about the Pats being deceptive.

Most experienced coaches can handle losing just fine, but they seem to lose their when they get severely outcoached. And that's what happened to Bo last night.

 

[pj]

First comment was just speaking the truth, and I'm glad he did it. I hate coaches who just tailor what they say to ass-kissing, whether it's refs, media, or whoever.

Second comment was making lemonade out of lemons. He's never been able to recruit a one-and-done and just failed again with Stone.

 

[Matt1010]

I thought is was a horribly officiated game. Every single 50/50 call went in Dooks favor. With that being said he handled the loss about as poorly as possible.

 

[CallMeBruce]

I thought is was a horribly officiated game. Every single 50/50 call went in Dooks favor. With that being said he handled the loss about as poorly as possible.

50/50? Every single 20/80 call went Duke's way, and some 0/100 calls managed to go the wrong way, too. I don't believe in conspiracies, but the officials were downright putrid last night.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

Sounds like a sore loser. I personally dont think he was really out coached so to spreak. I think the Duke kids out performed especially Grayson. I think there were some calls that didnt go in Wiconsins favor and i think the game just happened to end on a duke swing. That game was swinging back and forth and back and forth, it just ended when Duke was up. Well played game on both sides, Duke just had more points when the buzzer sounded.

He definitely sounds like a sore loser. Put yourself in their shoes though, when was the last chip they got? Back in the 40's? They made it to the final four last year, and not the finals and both times come away with nothing but respect for playing well? Thats a tough pill to swallow.

 

[Silk31]

His defenders were getting the bad end of some calls especially when Winslow and Jones just barreled into them out of control, but how much can really be complained when both Winslow and Okafor were strapped with foul trouble as well? You can't expect these zebras to call a good game anymore especially when your opponent is Duke, you have got to make the best of it and adjust.

 

[UconnFanNVa]

His defenders were getting the bad end of some calls especially when Winslow and Jones just barreled into them out of control, but how much can really be complained when both Winslow and Okafor were strapped with foul trouble as well? You can't expect these zebras to call a good game anymore especially when your opponent is Duke, you have got to make the best of it and adjust.

Agreed the refs didnt exactly do us any favors against UK last year. Forget that its an uphill battle and just win anyways. Shouldnt be that way but thats just the way it is.

 

[Kitaman]

I always say there should be a 24 moratorium on accountability, particularly after a tough/disheartening/major loss. You have to have had this experience also to understand the depth of despair he must be feeling. So being a first timer accounts for something.

He will not be saying these things tomorrow. Just saying I can't pass 'final' judgement based on a statement immediately following an emotional loss having such big stakes.

 

[Brochacho]

He does have a legitimate gripe against the officials. Think the other stuff is him blowing off steam because this is likely his last shot at the big one. 67 years old, losing 4 contributing seniors (Kaminsky, Jackson, Gasser, Dukan), Dekker a likely lottery to mid first round pick, and all that effort put into Stone didn't pay off. Wisconsin is very much a system orientated program, but the last two years happened because of Kaminsky and Dekker. All credit goes to Bo though, he transformed Wisconsin into a program that will compete for the best available coaches when he decides to step down. Set the stage for Wisconsin to be a national program.

 

[Scot-e]

He was not gracious - but his players got the snow beat out of them-I'd be pissed as well.
Ratface won this year in a different fashion then in years past- can't say I would turn down the players- they had a great class- but the "load up with 10 MC D AAs model" is one of the worst things to happen in college ball in many years.
They are not teams- they are collections of talent that are very difficult to overcome.

 

[jibsey]

This starts to sound like a broken record but when 2 of the final 4 teams just reload on the best players every year there's going to be some bitterness. What Bo did against Kentucky was incredible and maybe it took something out of his team 2 days later. Duke has a relatively easy game against MSU. You have to have an incredible point guard which Duke had. When all is said and done they have first round draft picks on the floor and bench ready to go. (and being replaced next year more than likely). Just getting his team to that point 2 years running is amazing.

 

[Kembacity]

I disagree, I thought the rent-a-player comment was a little bad, but complaining about officiating was merited. They blatantly got 2 'fact-based' calls wrong in the last few minutes and the two missed charges. He felt bad for his kids to come this far in their senior year and fall short because of some bad eyesight on the refs (we can only hope)

I also thought about Stone, but ultimately they didn't get him, and he was talking about his team right now which was a group of guys that werent McDonalds all americans, were underdogs who trained and listened to coaching and got better.

On the other end of the spectrum is Duke and a guy like Okafor who I'm sure said a lot (I didnt watch any postgame, nor do I follow his social media) of stuff about thanking 'his brothers' for getting him a ring even though he couldn't play much... these are not his brothers, he's known most of them for about 8-10 months... There's a difference in the brotherhood of a team that has played together for years and a bunch of freshman who havent suffered together or grown much just yet

 

[Kembacity]

His defenders were getting the bad end of some calls especially when Winslow and Jones just barreled into them out of control, but how much can really be complained when both Winslow and Okafor were strapped with foul trouble as well? You can't expect these zebras to call a good game anymore especially when your opponent is Duke, you have got to make the best of it and adjust.

I thought their fouls were legitimate, so just play better defense and stop fouling. For instance Duke fans look at Okafor's 4th as a horrible call, but that was legit, just because he got his hand on the ball doesnt make it NOT a foul. Kaminsky faked him to a side and beat him there, and he got in late and bumped him, that's a foul

 

[Kitaman]

these are not his brothers, he's known most of them for about 8-10 months... There's a difference in the brotherhood of a team that has played together for years and a bunch of freshman who havent suffered together or grown much just yet

Not sure I agree with this as we don't know the level of unity they shared. I know what you are trying to say, but any adversity with an elite victory produces a shared kindred. They all were on the same page that's for sure.

Outside looking in, who are we to say they do not feel like brothers?

 

[UConnWingman]

I have no problem with Bo Ryan using that opportunity to talk about the state of the game. Regardless of your opinion (as a fan) there were a couple hundred coaches nodding their heads last night as he said it.

 

[Hoophound]

These hard fought games between great teams hinge on a couple of big plays. Wisconsin got jobbed on several big calls and non calls.

I realize it is considered level headed and mature around here to be dismissive of conspiracies but the officiating all season was really bad. The number of times that the big name, P5 school got helped out was staggering and I don't even watch that many games anymore. It is very concerning as to where things are headed and how this could affect us in the future. I felt we had to overcome officiating in the final last year and it seems we got laughably mistreated against Duke this year and UL last year. The instances throughout the season of bias officiating across the landscape were out of control.

Something is going on. It may be gambling related rather than NCAA related, but something is not right. It is easy to forget one game and then move on to the next and lose track of the suspicious activity. When you really step back and think about it, it is alarming.

 

[UConnSwag11]

Coach k bltched at halftime about the refs. Then look what happened. Bo has reason to be pissed. 4-5 blatant calls should've been called in Wisconsins favor

 

[UConnSwag11]

Also bo was not smart in the second half. He had so many mismatches that frank, dekker, etc could've exploited. Also that lefty kid almost allowed Duke to blow them out with his errors and turnovers

 

[Calhoun's Court]

Pretty simple up 8-win the game.

 

[dogpause]

Reminds me of Harbaugh complaining about the Pats being deceptive.

Most experienced coaches can handle losing just fine, but they seem to lose their when they get severely outcoached. And that's what happened to Bo last night.

Harbaugh was actually quite tame in his response, even acknowledging that it was within the rules at that time. The fact that this tactic is now illegal speaks loudly.

 

[nomar]

Tough to blame the refs when Winslow and Okafor had to sit crucial minutes because of foul trouble.

 

[CallMeBruce]

Tough to blame the refs when Winslow and Okafor had to sit crucial minutes because of foul trouble.

Except that Winslow should have had to sit more. He very clearly committed two blatant charges in the second half after Okafor got his fourth, and then obviously he knocked a ball out of bounds that was somehow given back to Duke, and he stepped out of bounds with the ball and it wasn't called. These things put points on the board for Duke, and unquestionably changed the game. Yes, Duke was in foul trouble, but that doesn't mean that there weren't some egregious no-calls. Yes, Wisconsin had a big lead and should have held onto it, but that doesn't mean that the refs didn't give Duke free points that they probably don't win without.

 

[upstater]

Harbaugh was actually quite tame in his response, even acknowledging that it was within the rules at that time. The fact that this tactic is now illegal speaks loudly.

You can still do the exact same thing, just not from that position. The ineligible player has to be off the line. So you can still do the same thing and likely confuse Harbaugh.

The TE lines up at tackle, you take your RB off the line, declare him ineligible, but better yet, if he's off the line, you still have to cover him even if he is ineligible, because off the line, he is still capable of taking a lateral and running with it.

This play has been used in the NFL prior to the Patriots using it with no one crying like Harbaugh did.

 

[Inyatkin]

It's interesting that Kentucky, for all their wins, was done in the last two years by two teams led by juniors and seniors. But then Duke comes along and shows that sometimes talent really does trump everything.