Congratulations to Duke. The Blue Devils got off the canvas after trailing by nine in the second half and dominated down the stretch en route to the 68-63 win against Wisconsin.
Much of the post-game chatter on Twitter focused on the officiating, and in particular on a pair of at the very least questionable calls that went Duke’s way. There were also complaints about Duke getting to the foul line on a regular basis, while the Badgers never even got to the bonus in the second half.
Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan certainly made it clear that he was displeased with the work of the stripes in his post-game commentary. Fact is, he’s probably got a beef. But at the same time, let’s also remember that his team was the beneficiary of two highly debatable calls that played a critical role in determining the outcome of the Saturday game against Kentucky.
But in the end, I’ve got no problem with Ryan throwing some blame on the refs. This was for al the marbles, the Badgers really looked like they were going to win the game well into the second half and the frustration level had to be high. And let’s face it, the officiating was indeed shaky, not only in this game, but throughout the entire tournament. It’s my feeling that, as is the case in the NFL, there are simply too many rules for officials to digest and make quick decisions on, so this is not a problem that’s going to go away, and in fact will probably continue to get worse. But that’s a discussion for another day.
I did feel Bo was out of line with another snide remark following the game, however. Ryan’s “we don’t do rent-a-player” shot was, well, kind of classless and also a bit hypocritical.
As noted by ESPN recruiting insider Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) on Twitter, “Bo has recruited those kinds of players. And if Tyus/Jah want to play for you, you take them.”
But I’m sure there are some who fully agree with the Ryan comment on the one and done players. That’s fine, but if you want to do so, please consider this quote.
“What I agree totally with is, the entertainers, the people that are talented in other areas that end up going and doing something, you never hear about those people. In college, if people are stepping away, I don’t call it dropping out. They’re stepping away to pursue their passion.”
Ryan also told a story about his own player, Nigel Hayes, who was mulling over leaving Wisconsin early to enter the NBA draft following his freshman year.
“I said, ‘Young man, are you serious?’, I just said, ‘Hey sure. I have no problem with that'”.
That was last Thursday at the Wisconsin-Kentucky presser in Indianapolis last Thursday, as Ryan basically offered an upbeat defense of Wildcats coach John Calipari’s steady recruitment of the one and done types.
Apparently Ryan had a huge change in heart. Not after his team defeated Kentucky, which the king of the one and done recruits. Only after his Badgers lost to Duke. Funny how that works.