At its height, Ohio State's basketball rivalry with Wisconsin is as entertaining as any in the sport.
It's blossoming in the Thad Matta vs. Bo Ryan era and reached new heights in the 2006-07 season. In a college basketball rarity, both entered a late-February battle as the top two teams in the country. What ensued is now etched in Buckeye hoops history – Mike Conley hit his signature floater to give OSU a last-second victory. If you remember anything else about that game, it's Brian Butch's grotesque elbow injury.
For the most part, when the Bucks and Badgers meet, it has significant conference and national implications. Both teams were ranked in nine of their last 11 matchups, including this year's debacle at Value City Arena.
Based on the importance of the games and the recent bad blood in football, it's no surprise Ohio State fans have a strong distaste for Wisconsin. That jumped to full-blown hatred in 2011 when Jared Sullinger said Badger fans spit on him after a close loss ended OSU's undefeated season.
We all know Ryan's infamous response to Sullinger's allegations. Ryan can never undo that insensitive and poorly-informed choice of words. An Eleven Warriors poll, conducted two years ago, had him firmly ahead of Tom Crean as the most disliked head coach in the Big Ten.
If the last two years are any indication, Ryan is fueled by all of this hate – like some sort of Sith Lord who only uses his powers to coach basketball. His teams were once maligned as the "most boring in America."
The slow pace hasn't changed, but Wisconsin's offensive production has. They're legitimately fun to watch now, with matchup nightmares all over the floor. Four Badger starters shoot 38 percent or higher from beyond the arc. Sam Dekker only hits 34 percent of his attempts from three, but he has a case for the NCAA Tournament's most outstanding player if they beat Duke.
This unmatched marksmanship has led to a staggeringly high level of offensive efficiency. KenPom.com's rankings only date back to the 2001-02 season, but in those 14 seasons, this year's Wisconsin squad has the highest offensive efficiency rating. It's not even close – last season's Michigan team is second.
The Badgers were elite on that end last year, as well. Bo Ryan's Final Four squads performed at levels unseen in back-to-back years since the Chris Paul-led Wake Forest teams in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
To non-basketball purists, people who gravitate to certain teams because of personalities: Wisconsin players even make press conferences exciting. Frank Kaminsky, Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes ganged up on a stenographer shortly before Hayes dropped some 28-letter word bombs on her. Hayes isn't as media savvy as it may appear because he doesn't know how to stay composed in front of a hot stenographer mic.
Last season, after beating Arizona to earn a spot in the 2014 Final Four, Ryan gave a heartfelt interview to CBS about his father.
So, while many Buckeye fans may still dislike Ryan for his comments four years ago or for his sideline demeanor, there's little reason to doubt he assembled the best collection of talent – on and off the floor – in college basketball.
