Following a barrage of goading concerning the passed bye-week, Wisconsin men’s basketball head coach Bo Ryan revealed the foundation of his philosophy: Remain the same.
Reinforcing the notion has been the literature on Ryan’s nightstand during the brief break. “The Science of Basketball,” written in 1924 by legendary UW coach Walter “Doc” Meanwell, has confirmed that a team and its leader must not change from contest to contest, game to game, if success is to follow. Ryan values this ideal so much that he informed the team he received a call and that last weekend’s game was cancelled (even though there was none scheduled).
“I know people who get really excited about a W,” reported Ryan, who received the book from Meanwell’s grandson during a summer camp Ryan instructed. “And then fall flat on their face. The [main point in the book] is about not getting too high, not getting too low.”
After a strong second-half run to beat Iowa, which extended UW’s win streak to three games, and two home games against winless opponents (Northwestern and Penn State, both 0-5) in the upcoming week, Wisconsin (3-2 Big Ten, 13-4 overall) appears to be on a high. And any team in Wisconsin’s position has the possibility of losing its concentration during a week-long rest, which may result in an emotional fallout that could linger the remainder of the season.
“If you get on that (emotional) rollercoaster, then you are in real trouble,” said Ryan.
However, as Ryan told reporters, he has kept practices identical to prior weeks because he prepares for every team, regardless of its record, as if the opponent will bring its most complete game into the contest. Ryan does not want his team, or himself for that matter, to spend too much time prided or focused on a single game. Instead, he would like the majority of on-court emotional intensity to be tapped from within and not from outside sources, minimizing a loss of competitive edge. To Ryan, the solution is obvious: Remain the same.
“(Meanwell) talks about a coach getting real emotional over one game and all of the stuff that happens the next game,” said Ryan, who won a Big Ten championship in his first season of coaching UW. “From my standpoint — I don’t change. What are you going to do (to get the team ready for the next game)?”
Armed with a book hand-written by a coach who won 44 of 45 games and three Big Ten championships during his first three seasons, Ryan has the confidence and demeanor to execute Meanwell’s philosophy.
“Like I’ve said for so many years,” a tranquil Ryan remarked. “I never want my family to know if we have a good practice or a bad practice when I go home. I try to never change emotionally.”
And after yet another week of normal practices, the Wisconsin basketball team looks to take the court in identical form as last Wednesday in hopes that all will remain the same against the hapless and winless Northwestern Wildcats and Penn State Nittany Lions.
