What We've Learned

Hughes is also composes  threat on defense, being one of the underrated defenders of the big-ten.

I stand corrected, my mistake.

Thank you for the comment about the Big 10 outlook, there are a lot of idiots out here who continue to say how weak the Big Ten has been for years when it's a total lie. This year, yes, but otherwise they have had 4 teams in the championship game in the last 8 years, and that's a strong showing from a supposedly weak conference.

Hughes would've made some difference, but I'm not sure WI would have won. Davidson is a very underrated team, it looks like they should have been a 5 or 6 seed but unfortunately mid-majors don't often get those.

It would have been good to see both teams at full strength, but injuries are just a part of the game. Other teams have lost because of them (look at UConn earlier this year in the 1st round when one of their guards tore his ACL in the1st half and they lost to a 13 seed). It's disappointing, but not much you can do about it.

Again in regards to injuries, Hughes cannot be mentioned as the reason we lost. Im a huge Badger fan but that would be just wrong to use it as a cop out. We were throughly dominated and it is time to accept the realities of our sports programs. First off Bo Ryan is a great, great coach. With the amount of talent on our team to be able to do what he did with our team in winning 31 games is truly fantastic. However, the NCAA tournament is where coaches should be and need to be judged and there is good reason for the lack of media exposure that our program gets. The lack of NBA potential on our team will always hold us back from being considered with the big boys such as Kansas, NC, UCLA, Memphis, etc. It is nearly impossible to go to the final four without the necessary depth and athleticism that these teams have (withstanding fluke years with no real good 1 seeds). We will always be second fiddle, a good but not great program under Coach Bo Ryan. Expect for many more years to come occasional sweet 16, maybe even elite 8 appearances with the right matchups, but mostly come to expect first weekend defeats. Our system works to perfection in the grind it out, big ten every year but we continue to get exposed on the national stage against other conferences. The only teams that have had final four/national championship success in the past have been Big Ten teams with true NBA talent, this year there was none of that to be found in our conference. People will combat and say well we beat KSU and Texas from the Big 12. Again, KSU was wildly inconsistent all year (hence an 11 seed) and that Texas game was an aberration. Watching Texas play now and watching our game it is clear they had a Christmas Break hangover or something. March is what matters and although its throughly enjoyable competing in Badger football and basketball year in and year out, its time to make that next step in both recruiting and more BCS/ National Championship game appearances in both sports. Im greedy and with our head coaches we should be competing on the highest levels now, Barry Alvarez said it best when these programs need to take the next step. I am appreciative of the competetive teams we put out every year, but Wisconsin fans need to stop settling for Sweet 16 and Capital Bowl appearances.. Its time to get to the top of the ladder for god sakes

Good ideas and I agree for the most part, but how exactly do you take that next step? Wisconsin has no storied tradition like Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, etc. to attract recruits like this, cuz they know those other pgms will get them national attention and the subsequent NFL contracts (same as in basketball). The SEC schools have a warm climate as does the West, so we lose there too.

Not an easy thing to do, especially when you make tons of money doing what they do now. Someone at WI needs to want to do this and also know how to get it done.