With the Wisconsin men’s basketball team left out of the AP Top 25 poll behind six other Big Ten teams after finishing tied for fourth in conference last season, the Badger players could be forgiven if they were playing with a little chip on their shoulders.

Still, despite demolishing Bemidji State 90-54 in the exhibition opener, UW head coach Bo Ryan believes his players shut their ears to outside opinions. According to Ryan, his team played the way they practiced against Bemidji.

“If you want an answer of ‘Did I think they’re playing with a chip?’, I don’t think so. I just think they’re trying to continue the tradition of Wisconsin being a pretty good team,” Ryan said. “That’s what maybe gets forgotten in all this. Not forgotten by the people that know basketball. It’s forgotten by people who maybe never played, don’t understand what it’s like and what these guys go through. And I can understand that part, because that’s just out of ignorance.”

Senior Leaders

At the heart of Ryan’s program has been consistent contributions and leadership from senior players each season. With only NBA lottery pick Devin Harris leaving early for pro basketball under Ryan, the development of players culminating in their senior season has been an important foundation for the Wisconsin program. This season, starting guards Trevon Hughes and Jason Bohannon will be expected to carry that mantle. Hughes and Bohannon return as the Badgers leading scorers, leading assist men and Hughes led Wisconsin in steals last season.

“So, I have expectations of seniors being leaders and all, but when it comes to teaching, they’re all in that classroom together, and you don’t only teach the seniors this and the freshmen that,” Ryan said. “It doesn’t work that way with me. Maybe some people do. But when you get up on the court, when they’re in the locker room, here’s where you know you’ve got something.”

Marcus Landry

One of the senior stars from last year’s team, Marcus Landry, has latched onto the New York Knicks’ roster despite not being drafted. Posting fairly modest statistics his final year at UW — 12.7 points per game and 4.6 rebounds a contest — Landry has stuck with an NBA roster by the virtue of hard work, hustle and determination. With brother Carl already in the NBA, Landry matured through his four years at UW by fathering three children.

Although Ryan was unable to see Landry play against the Milwaukee Bucks, it is the maturation Landry experienced off the court and Landry’s skill on the court that makes Ryan proud of what his former player was able to accomplish.

“It’s Marcus Landry. To me, that’s not a surprise,” Ryan said. “I know somebody said they saw where I said how proud I was of him. Absolutely. Who isn’t proud of what he’s done? Under the circumstances that he’s matriculated here at the university and everything else, people would say, ‘Oh, well, what do you mean? He had a scholarship. He had this, he had that.’ OK, but how many guys went through what he did for four years, and to be where he is right now, that’s why you coach. And I know people use that term a lot now, but that is one of the reasons why you coach. And not because he’s in the NBA, totally. That’s part of the picture, but not the whole thing.”