If there’s one thing I’ve learned about our generation, it’s that patience is not our strongest attribute. From the popularity of Easy Mac to the emergence of the digital camera, we have fallen in love with being instantly gratified — oftentimes being more apt to choose what’s quick and easy than what might take time but pay more dividends in the end.

But just like virtually every other standard or rule, there is at least one exception.

Enter UW freshman Brian Butch.

Although he was presented with the opportunity to play an integral role on a back-to-back Big Ten title winning squad, Butch opted, instead, to redshirt this season and work on adding some weight and honing his skills.

“I have decided to redshirt this year,” Butch announced Monday afternoon. “I appreciate the understanding and support of my teammates, coaches, family and friends. This is the best thing for me right now and I think it is the best way I can help the team in the long run. I will do everything I can to help this program and the university during the time I am sitting out. Thank you to everyone for understanding this decision.”

The problem is that not everyone is understanding of his decision.

As the Wisconsin basketball program’s most highly touted recruit since Sam Okey committed to UW in 1995, Butch was expected by many to be an instant contributor for the Badgers in 2003-04. The 6-food-11 Appleton native played alongside LeBron James as a member of this summer’s EA Sports Roundball Classic West team, was selected to play in last spring’s McDonald’s All-American game and is the only first-team Parade All-American to ever attend UW.

What people don’t realize, however, is that while Butch could contribute this season, next season and the three years afterward he has the potential to be one of the most dominant frontcourt players in the Big Ten.

He already has the inherent floor presence to recognize when the double team is coming and find the open man — as he demonstrated in last year’s WIAA state tournament — and he has a great mid-range jump shot. But the one thing he lacks is size.

The starting centers for the Badgers’ first two Big Ten matchups facially provide evidence of this, as Indiana’s George Lynch and Michigan State’s Paul Davis are both the same height as Butch but have 25 and 40 pounds on him, respectively.

And if anyone can attest to the advantages of a post player gaining size, it’s UW’s dependable big man, Mike Wilkinson.

Like Butch, Wilkinson was a little undersized for the college game coming out of high school and opted to redshirt his first season.

According to Wilkinson, sitting out that first year and putting on 15-20 pounds was beneficial to him in the long run and helped him become the player he is today.

“[Gaining the weight] was definitely important. I used to get pushed around every day in practice by the big guys that first year,” said Wilkinson, who led the team in blocked shots and rebounds last season. “I feel like it was a great [decision] for me. Now look at where we are. We’ve won two [Big Ten] titles in a row and I’m coming out and having as much fun as I’ve ever had. I’m stronger, and I’m able to handle people in the post a lot better. I just feel more confident out there now.”

The weight issue aside, Wilkinson makes a good point when he says the decision to redshirt was great for him.

Because when it boils down to it, nobody really has a say in the matter other than the player and the coaching staff, and Coach Ryan left the decision up to Butch. So, if he wants to sit out a year, so be it.

After all, he’s the one that actually has to go out there and get muscled around by ogres like Iowa’s Jared Reiner and freaks like Purdue’s Ivan Kartelo.

And tall, lanky players like Butch redshirt all the time anyway, which is part of the reason why it is so surprising he has received all the scrutiny he has over the past few days. Sure, he’s an All-American, but if he’s not ready, he’s not ready.

“This is common for players of his stature, of his build. More common than it is at any other size,” said Ryan, following the Badgers’ 102-95 exhibition victory over the Charleston Lowgators Monday night. “That’s why I can’t believe people don’t understand this. This is pretty simple to me. He’s just a fine young man who is going to help this program for a long time. I think it’s tremendous that he has the courage. I took guts to do this.”

I couldn’t agree with you more, Coach Ryan. And now Butch has to try matching his figurative guts with a literal gut. Enter, whoever fed Rashard Griffith.