Saving General Ryan: Badgers Bench Boss Bo Knows Player Development

Has there ever been a coach in an elite "Power 6" league with a consistent track record for dramatic player development anywhere close to matching Wisconsin's Bo Ryan? This will likely be the fifth consecutive campaign where a UW player becomes an All-Big Ten Conference selection after previously averaging fewer than three points per game as a freshman. In the next couple of years, Ben Brust (0.7 ppg in 2010-11), Traevon Jackson (1.1 in 2011-12) and Frank Kaminsky (1.8 in 2011-12) could join the following chronological list of Badgers who became an all-league choice under Ryan after averaging fewer than 3 ppg as a freshman:

G Kammron Taylor (1.2 ppg in 2003-04 to 13.3 ppg in 2006-07)
G Michael Flowers (1.2 ppg in 2004-05 to 9.6 ppg in 2007-08)
G Trevon Hughes (1.4 ppg in 2006-07 to 15.3 ppg in 2009-10)
F Jon Leuer (2.9 ppg in 2007-08 to 18.3 ppg in 2010-11)
G Jordan Taylor (1.6 ppg in 2008-09 to 18.1 ppg in 2010-11 and 14.8 ppg in 2011-12)
C Jared Berggren (1.1 ppg in 2009-10 to 11 ppg in 2012-13)

"Saving" his program time and time again by turning scars into stars, it is no wonder Wisconsin won 50 consecutive contests under "General" Ryan in one stretch when the Badgers were ahead or tied with five minutes remaining in regulation. They never finished lower than fourth place in the Big Ten standings in his first 12 years at their helm. Kaminsky scored a school-record 43 points early in the 2013-14 campaign. There is no satisfactory explanation why neither Ryan, the Big Ten's coach of the year last season, nor Billy Donovan, who directed Florida to back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007, have ever been named national coach of the year. Ditto for Rick Barnes, Texas' all-time winningest coach.