It's been nearly a month and I am just starting to figure it out.
About a month ago, Bo Ryan's Badgers went to Austin, Texas, and upset the then-ninth-ranked Texas Longhorns - and they did it without their leading scorer. Who knew that Trevon Hughes injuring his ankle at the end of practice the night before UW's last non-conference game would be the turning point for Wisconsin - a team that had looked dominant in the should-win games yet confused in games against Duke and Marquette?
But while many UW students were probably sleeping in Dec. 29 for UW's 11 a.m. start in a game that looked nearly impossible to win before Hughes got hurt, Ryan was getting ready for what could have been the best coaching performance of his career.
The Badgers played with 100 percent effort on almost every possession. Brian Butch looked like the dominant post player Badgers fans thought they would have for four years. Marcus Landry played like the blossoming star everyone was waiting to emerge. Joe Krabbenhoft pulled down eight rebounds in 39 solid minutes of play while taller and more athletic Longhorns looked baffled on the boards.
When the clock hit 0:00 and UW won 67-66, it wasn't Michael Flowers game winning three-pointer that stood out. It was his defensive play right after the shot. He didn't waste a second celebrating. Instead, he stole the inbound pass and threw it high in the air as he fell out of bounds, wasting the last two seconds on the clock.
In an age where players like Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley are making coaching less relevant in college basketball, all you could say after this one was that Bo Ryan had gotten the best of Rick Barnes and Texas. Dick Bennett would have been proud.
No one knew who was going to be able to get into double figures for Wisconsin, and I guess that's why the Longhorns didn't know who to guard.
No offense to Hughes, but I'm not so sure the Badgers would have beaten Texas if he had played. It would have been a completely different game.
There would have been a go-to-guy, and against Duke (12 points, 4-for-13 shooting) and Marquette (16 points, 4-for-15 shooting), Hughes struggled in that role, often forcing shots and playing out of control. Instead, the Badgers did not know who would score, but started five guys very capable of scoring in double figures in any game - just not every game.
That's what is making Wisconsin so hard to beat and so fun to watch. Texas had no idea who was going to score. Butch (21 points) brought the heat, Landry (14 points) was his right-hand man, Krabbenhoft did all the little things and Flowers - who had hit only one other field goal - nailed the game-winner.
Now, five games later, Wisconsin is undefeated in Big Ten play, and Hughes, who admitted the injured ankle forced him to play slower, is looking like the point guard the Badgers need. In the first five conference wins, five different players (Jon Leuer, Butch, Hughes, Flowers and Landry) scored 20-plus points.
Who needs Alando Tucker and Kammron Taylor? The X-Factor offense averaged 69 points per game through its first five Big Ten games. Last year's team averaged 65 points per game in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, the defense, which no one was questioning in the off season, is only giving up 54 points per game.
It's a recipe for success that only Bo Ryan could mix up. Remember when he lost Devin Harris to the NBA Draft? He responded by taking the 2004-05 Badgers to the Elite Eight. What can he do with this team?
If guys like Jon Leuer (25 points at Michigan) keep giving the Badgers more options, Ryan could create almost any matchup imaginable.
I guess we'll find out how good this team can be when coaching meets pure talent (Eric Gordon) as Indiana comes to the Kohl Center Jan. 31. But for now, the Badgers have another can-win road game this Saturday at Purdue. It will be tough, but UW is 4-1 on the road this year, and if another 20-point phantom emerges, it should be 7-0 in Big Ten play by Saturday evening.
