Two players on the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team aren’t exactly what you would call “typical” Badgers.

They aren’t individual performers, they don’t take away from the team aspect of head coach Bo Ryan’s swing offense, and they won’t leave after one season of playing college hoops.

What makes Ian Markolf and Ryan Evans different from most Wisconsin basketball players isn’t the way they play but where they’re from — something most UW fans aren’t used to.

Markolf, from San Antonio, Texas and Evans, from Phoenix, Ariz., are the only two members of the 2008 recruiting class who don’t reside in the Midwest.

They’re also the only two players from their respective states to ever dawn the Wisconsin cardinal, something Ryan and company can be proud of.

“They had shown some interest in us,” Wisconsin assistant coach Gary Close said. “It just so happened that we had a similar interest in them — I guess you could say that it kind of fell in our lap.”

While the two freshmen hail far from Wisconsin, Evans’ uncle, David, played for Wisconsin, and several of his family members have Midwest ties as well. His family ties, along with the opportunity to play for Ryan led him to choose Wisconsin.

“My dad went to Minnesota, my Uncle David went here, my Uncle Glen went to Illinois, my aunt went to Illinois, two cousins went to Illinois,” Evans said. “A lot of people from my family reside from the Big Ten Conference, so it was always somewhere I would want to go.”

Unlike Evans, who grew up watching UW athletics, the 7-foot Markolf wasn’t so familiar with the program but is nonetheless happy to be in Wisconsin.

“Actually, growing up I had never really looked at Wisconsin athletics at all,” Markolf said. “I started to see how they are a top academic school, and a great basketball program with coach Ryan and the rest of the coaching staff. It all just kind of added up and led to my decision.”

Although the two ended up at Wisconsin by different means, both were intrigued by Bo Ryan and the program he created — something both of the players wanted to be a part of.

In fact, when asked what was the main reason they chose Wisconsin over other schools, both players had the same answer.

“I had known about coach (Ryan) just because he is so well known across the nation,” Markolf said.

“He is one of the best coaches of all time,” Evans added. “That only helps.”

While the duo has not seen much playing time coming off the bench, the two have been working extra hard to play some sort of role on the team. Evans feels that despite not getting minutes during games, he has improved as a player and will be able to be a solid contributor in the future.

“You take what’s given to you,” Evans said. “You shut down the easy shots and the game is real simple. [Ryan] makes it easy that way; he doesn’t make it complicated. He is a great guy and a great coach, so I am glad to be here.”

In the meantime, Evans has been doing whatever he can to be a vocal leader on the bench and during practice.

“I do what I can,” Evans said. “I come to practice ready to give it to them, and I am just out there to cheer them on like the rest of the audience.”

Next season, the Badgers will probably look to Markolf and his 7-foot frame to be a force off the bench. While Evans is redshirting this year, he looks to make an impact as soon as possible as well.

“I want to get out there as soon as possible,” Evans said. “I want to get out here and play, so next year I would like to come here and be ready.”

Markolf agreed, noting while he probably won’t see much playing time this season, he looks to play a major role on the team next year, especially with three of the Badgers’ senior forwards — Marcus Landry, Joe Krabbenhoft and Kevin Gullikson — leaving next season.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a responsibility necessarily, but just something that I need to do to make sure the program keeps a winning tradition and gets the results that it wants. It’s just something that needs to get done.”

Even though the two players were impressed by the team’s basketball program before they joined UW, both Markolf and Evans see the team’s leaders and Wisconsin’s sports tradition as two of the biggest factors for why they ended up as Badgers.

“(The) team is great,” Evans said. “(There are a) lot of leaders here. A whole bunch of leaders come here, and we all just rise up together.”

“Wisconsin is one of the leading schools in the country for doing things right,” Markolf added. “We’re all a good group of guys and I think more than anything it’s going to be a great place for me to build as a person.”

Building as a person probably won’t be an issue for the duo under Ryan’s coaching staff, but whether they improve and make an impact as basketball players has yet to be seen.

“They’ve both got a lot of upside,” Close said. “That’s what you want, but a lot of it depends on how they continue to work and improve, but they’ve got a lot of the intangibles you need to be player. Now, it’s just a question of putting it all together.”