Montee Ball joined the Big 1070 in Madison with Mike Heller to talk about his decision to return for his senior year at Wisconsin, what he makes of people’s reaction to his decision, what is motivating him to return rather than enter the NFL Draft, who he consulted on the decision, and what he expects from Wisconsin in 2012.

What he makes of the reaction that he has gotten since making his decision to stay in school for another year:

“People that are confused with my decision to come back it’s their opinion but other than that I look at myself in the mirror and believe I made the right decision with the bottom of my heart. I believe I really did.”

When he knew he was staying at Wisconsin for another year:

“I actually told Coach B (Bret Bielema) and the running backs coach my decision last Saturday, two days before the game. Coach B was excited, he hugged me and stuff like that. That’s why I believe I made the right decision. With the coaches leaving and stuff like that I have a lot of faith in him that he’s gonna bring back some great coaches and next year we’re gonna be just as good.”

What is motivating him to return:

“I believe leading this team, leading the entire team and being a captain for this team and just being there for my players. That’s huge motivation for me, that’s gonna motivate me throughout the offseason and I’m gonna make sure to carry it throughout the season for my teammates, be accountable, and be a playmaker.”

How much his parents helped with his decision:

“Heavily. Talking to them was something I looked forward to and knew they would give me the best feedback. What they both told me is that they will be by me 100 percent whatever I decide. I really appreciate them saying that because this is one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made in my life and like I said I believe I made the right decision,. I want to thank them for being honest with me. I believe what they did a great job with was giving the pros and cons of both sides and then just left it at that. Just told me to look in the mirror, make the right decision, and listen to your heart.”

What he is going to focus on improving this offseason:

“Last season I really focused on losing weight to become faster. I really didn’t focus a lot on strength , which I should’ve and a lot of it showed in my games. I wasn’t strong enough to get the third and ones or the third and twos so this season I’m gonna make sure I really, really attack the weight room and I believe it will carry forward to the field which will make me strong, I will be able to shed more tackles, and I believe attacking the weight room with squats and stuff like that will make me a faster running back.”

What he expects from the team in 2012:

“Being a player for this great program I do believe we will be better next year because a lot of people believe we won’t be good. I believe that’s a motivation for us all to prove everyone wrong. I’m gonna make sure to tell the team that. A lot of people are believing that we’re not gonna get the job done this year so let’s prove them wrong. I believe we will.”

Listen to Montee Ball on the Big 1070 in Madison here

First things first, though. The Badgers get an opportunity to exact some revenge against Michigan State on Saturday as the two tangle on Saturday in the first ever Big Ten Championship Game in Indianapolis.

Bret Bielema joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to Wisconsin’s win over Penn State that advanced the Badgers to the conference championship game this coming weekend, how his defense has turned things around since the two losses in the middle stages of the season, the excitement surrounding the first ever Big 10 Championship Game, getting a shot at redemption against Michigan State in the title game, Montee Ball’s emergence in the Heisman race and why he’s not an advocate of a full-blown playoff system in college football.

On beating Penn State to get to the Big Ten title game:

“Our guys really, after the two back-to-back heartbreaking losses to Michigan State and Ohio State, our guys have played pretty well. I’ll take our team against any team in the country. We’ve just played well on offense; defense has done a nice job. I think we’re the only team in the country that’s in the top five of scoring offense and scoring defense.”

What happened to turn your defense around since those two losses?:

“I think our kids, probably a little more on defense than any other phase of the team, realized that every play matters. Both of those games they played pretty well except for maybe four or five plays and those four or five plays cost us big. … And we’ve also had some injuries. This has probably been the most injury-prone year I’ve had as a head coach. We lost our starting corner, our best defensive end, and those things take their toll.”

As a guy who played in the Big Ten and is now coaching there, how exciting is this game?:

“I’d be pulling your leg if I didn’t tell you that this is something I’ve had earmarked since the concept of getting a 12th team in the league. … It’s a very competitive league. People want to beat us up here and there, but it’s a league that you’ve got to show up ready to play every weekend. To get to the championship game, to have a rematch against Michigan State, to play in Indianapolis I think is going to be a great environment.”

Could it have played out any better to be back and have a shot against Michigan State, given how that game ended on the final play?:

“A lot of people are drawn to that. I think our kids are excited about the opportunity and to have Michigan State there, who I really do feel the two best teams in our league are represented in the championship game. … The winner of the game gets to go to the Rose Ball. That’s what’s at stake.”

On Montee Ball now being in the talk of the Heisman Trophy race:

“Montee has done a tremendous job. He’s got 34 touchdowns and over 1,600 yards rushing against some really good defenses in our league. To do it quietly, like he has, is just exceptional. … He’s five touchdowns away from breaking the all-time NCAA record set by Barry Sanders. He already has the Wisconsin record, already has the Big Ten record. … He’s only played in basically two fourth quarters.”

Do you wish there was a playoff in college football?:

“I think the world of college football maybe deserves a plus-one. I’ve always said that I really like the idea of 1 playing 4 and 2 playing 3 and the winner plays in a game. I know this, we’re playing our 13th game in 14 weeks. We’re not a professional football team. Our kids have class, they have academics. … If we put another four- or five-game schedule on our kids’ docket, it’s just unfair to them.”

Listen to Bret Bielema on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

Wilson played three seasons for North Carolina State then dipped his toe in the Major League Baseball waters by playing a bit with the Colorado Rockies organization. He decided that he wanted to play his final season of football to show what he was capable of, but NC State coach Tom O’Brien decided to release the quarterback from his scholarship because baseball kept him from offseason workouts.

Say it with me Wisconsin fans: “Thanks Tom.” Wilson threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another as the Badgers throttled Nebraska 48-17 Saturday night, a game that thrust the Badgers firmly into the national championship discussion and Wilson into the Heisman Trophy talk.

Russell Wilson joined The Dan Patrick Show to discuss the environment at Camp Randall Stadium this past Saturday night, his journey from NC State to professional baseball to Madison, why he was released at North Carolina State after deciding to return to college for one final year of college football eligibility, if he hopes to be a two-sport star professionally, and whether he believes he’s ready for the NFL right now.

How different is the environment playing at Wisconsin compared to North Carolina State?:

“Obviously being up here and playing in the Big Ten it’s a great conference. In my opinion it’s the best conference going on right now. … Playing a team like a Nebraska, it’s great tradition and they brought a great crowd. But there’s no better place to play than Camp Randall. It’s an awesome atmosphere.”

Explain how you got to Wisconsin:

“I promised my dad I’d graduate in three years, so I got my communications degree from North Carolina State University and ended up getting drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round, which was a tremendous blessing in my life. Then my dad ended up passing away, so I went back to NC State and played there my junior year and ended up going through spring training and Coach O’Brien thought it was within the best interest of North Carolina State for them to move on. I wanted to go back there, but I just prayed about it and Wisconsin came down to my favorite place to go. I thought it was the best situation for me and for my career in terms of football and just progressing as a quarterback.”

Were you trying to decide between baseball and football when O’Brien said that?:

“I had the opportunity to go back and I had another year left. I wanted to pursue my football career still. I didn’t want to give up on it. … It didn’t end up working out at NC State, but it’s worked out well here.”

How big of a factor was Wisconsin’s massive offensive line in your decision?:

“I came up here and took a visit and I was extremely impressed by the offensive line and their size. When you see these guys, you wonder, ‘How big can these guys get?’ They’re 6-5, 320-plus pounds, pretty much every single one of them.”

So is your future in football or baseball?:

“My future is this bye week and then Indiana next.”

Do you want to be a two-sport star?:

“I think that I’m blessed enough to play two sports at a very high level, but when it comes down to it, I just want to do whatever’s in the best interest of my family. … I’m still in the Rockies organization. I’m glad to be in that organization. It’s a great organization to be in. In terms of football, I’m definitely going to pursue football for sure and see how things work out.”

Do you think you’re pro-ready right now?:

“I think I am. I think that with my knowledge of the game, knowledge of protections, understanding of how to throw the football … I think that I’m definitely ready. I think I can grow every single day though. I’m trying to be the best quarterback there is in college football and then, you know, eventually one day down the road, maybe in the NFL.”

So you came back to show people that you have the ability to play on the big stage?:

“Yeah, definitely. I wanted to show everybody that I have the ability to play in the NFL. In my opinion, I’ve always felt that.”

Listen to Russell Wilson on The Dan Patrick Show here

Bret Bielema joined the Big 1070 to talk about the injury situation and how practice is going leading up to the opener against UNLV, what he looks for from his captains, what his thoughts are so far on Russell Wilson, and Wilson taking over as a captain so soon.

On the injuries to the team and how he feels heading into the first game against UNLV:

“A number of our guys have been held out and some of those guys got back in there Friday and Saturday. You can kinda begin to see where the first groups are going. Obviously we will get a little bit more into it today and tomorrow as we introduced UNLV prep last night. I’m excited, I like the chemistry, I like the way they have gone about their business and as we get more and more players back it makes everybody feel better.”

What he looks for from his captains:

“Two things. They have to be the pulse of the team for me. If there is anything I need to know or hear or if players have something they want to talk to me about a lot of times they will go through the captains as the conduit to get to me about anything and everything from football to non-football stuff like team snack. Also those guys have to kinda be the police in the locker room. The people that can get things done when the coaches aren’t around and I know these guys are seasoned veterans and all four of them will know kinda how to go about their business. It’s really a fun group and the great thing was, there was a number of votes and every starting offensive lineman received I believe four more votes. It just goes to show me there is a greater amount of respect for the offensive line and when that happens I think we’re destined to have some good results on the field.”

On Russell Wilson:

“It’s kind of fun to watch. As you guys I’m sure are around him you realize he’s true blue. None of that stuff is fake or false. I thought last night all four captains got up and addressed the team and he really kinda hit on the finer points of his unique situation but how humbled he is to get voted by them as peers. It’s one of those delicate situations but everything seems to be going good so far.”

How Russell Wilson has fit in so quickly:

“He has and a true credit to all of our guys. It was truly, at first we wanted to make sure he was going to be a fit as a human being, as a guy that we could count on and blend into our crowd. It was brought to my attention that a certain program had a bed check I guess at like 10:30 and like 40 players snuck out. Somebody asked me ‘coach do you have a bed check?’ I said ‘bed check? I don’t need a bed check.’ My guys, just the character and composure that our guys have I’m just so happy to be around them and truly blessed to have an opportunity to work with them on an everyday basis because it’s just a really fun group to be around.”

Listen to Bret Bielema on the Big 1070 here

Many of you will remember Wilson from North Carolina State as he quickly established himself as a starter there, then graduated in three years and opted to try his hand at baseball after being drafted by the Colorado Rockies. He’s ready to hang up those spikes and return to football and chose the Badgers in what was a high-profile recruiting competition. Wilson can play right away, but has just one season of eligibility.

Bielema says the quarterback position will be a competition, but it’s pretty easy to see the writing on the wall. And now many Badgers fans — believe me, as a Wisconsin grad I know a few — are already beginning to save up for another trip to the Rose Bowl.

Bret Bielema joined The Big 1070 in Madison with The Mike Heller Show to discuss landing Wilson, the uniqueness of the situation, how critical it was for Wilson to get out of baseball before August, if he’s ever had a high-profile recruit come in for just one season, what Wilson can provide at quarterback and if this changes the Badgers’ goals.

On landing Russell Wilson:

“I knew getting into this situation that we were going to deal with, ‘Is he coming in as the starter? Is he coming in as a prima dona? Is he coming in as a guy that’s been tabbed as a savior?’ All I told Russell is I want him to come in and be who he is.”

How unique was this recruiting process?:

“Very unique. The first thing that happens in a situation like this is you get an email or a fax on your desk that says this person has extended a desire to speak to you in the possibility of transferring to your school. When I got Russell’s, I was like, ‘OK, I know this name,’ but didn’t know what the exact situation was so I did a little recon on the internet, just looking up what his storyline was leaving NC State, looked up the professional baseball team he was with in Asheville and then I reached out to some people I knew close to NC State. … It was interesting because really unlike any other kid that you’re recruiting he’s truly in a unique situation. He’s a three-year grad, he’s playing professional sports, you’re in a time of year when it’s illegal to contact and evaluate prospects off campus. I actually put forward special legislation and went all the way to the NCAA review panel that got denied, but I was trying to get a way to go see his mom or have the possibility to see him play a baseball game. We were denied on both aspects.”

How critical was it that he step away from baseball right away and not in August?:

“It’s fun because, as you know, you’re trying to develop a relationship with a kid, but you don’t want to upset him. … It’s not like we could say, ‘You need to move here by this date, you need to do this by this date.’ … The thing I loved about Russell is he, pretty early on in the process, said, ‘Coach, if I make the decision to play football, I need to come there in July to work with my teammates and the playbook.’”

Have you been a part of a process before, where a high-profile player comes in just for one season?:

“Never. It’s a very unique situation. I think what you’ll find is Russell Wilson is a very unique individual. I wouldn’t have put ourselves, as a program, in this position, or pursued this, unless I felt very comfortable about the type of person I was bringing in.”

What do you need from your quarterback position and what can Wilson provide?:

“It’s what he is. He’s been able to establish over a period of time as a pretty reliable starter. One of the greatest stats I saw when I began to read up with him is he has the longest record in college football of passes thrown without an interception. … That’s a pretty big stat. I think we’re going to let him come in here, we’ll get a chance to evaluate what he can do during fall camp … as well as [our other guys] and figure out who the best man for the job is to move forward.”

Do the goals change now with Russell Wilson coming in?:

“No. We’re kind of a program that has been established as being consistent. The only way you can be that over a period of time is to stay true to who you are. It’s not going to change anything we’ve done. … My practice plan didn’t change from two weeks ago to today just because Russell is coming.”

Listen to Bret Bielema on The Big 1070 in Madison here (Interview begins at 29:50)

“To win, you don’t have to do things illegally. … Everyone is not breaking NCAA rules,” Alvarez says in the following interview. It’s one of many interesting responses concerning the many topics going through the brains of athletic directors all around the country.

Barry Alvarez joined WSSP in Milwaukee with The Big Show to discuss the firing of Jim Tressel, trying to keep an eye on what athletes are doing, the shoe scandal during his time as Wisconsin coach, proposals to pay players on top of their scholarships, what the struggles of Ohio State and Michigan mean for the Big Ten, why it’s possible to run a clean program and what he’d say to fans who are jaded by all the NCAA violations swirling about.

On how the Ohio State athletic department handled the firing of Jim Tressel:

“I’m not on top of it. I know probably what you know … what’s been reported. I think the fact that Jim reported that he made a mistake, that he was in err of not being truthful to the NCAA led to a lot of this. And it’s quite obvious that it’s not over. The investigation isn’t over and there may be some other issues out there. I think it’s a sad day for college football when you have a brand name like Ohio State and certainly a sad day for our league.”

On the need to have a legion of people trying to control and contain what student athletes are doing:

“I don’t know if it’s just the athletes of today. So many of the athletes have a third party involved. You have to deal with them. So many of them are spoiled coming in. I think the media and just the awareness because of the internet and social media and all those things just make people more aware of what’s going on. The NCAA, we continue to get more regulations and rules. Compliance offices in all the colleges have continued to grow just to keep up with all the rules. … It’s a problem that is continually magnifying.”

When Wisconsin went through a shoe scandal when he was the coach, what was that investigation like?:

“They did not come in to investigate. Our administration, I felt, didn’t do a very good job of representing us. They just basically said we were in violation and accepted a penalty without trying to build a case for really what the issue was.”

How much do athletic directors and presidents really know about their football programs and coaches?:

“I think there’s a lot of different situations. Sometimes people turn a blind eye, sometimes they don’t know. The presidents aren’t there with the coaches or the players. The athletic director should be much closer to the program and your compliance people certainly should be very close to the program as far as educating and staying on top of all your student-athletes. … You try to do the best you can of informing everyone, but my job is to keep my president informed of what is going on and making sure our program is being run in the proper way.”

On Jim Delaney’s proposal to give players an extra stipend on top of the scholarships they receive?:

“First of all, I’ve always been in favor of doing whatever you can for your athletes. I just think there are a lot of questions. I think that’s just loosely thrown out there about paying all your student-athletes. I’ve got 800 of them. Do you pay all 800? How can you afford that? You really only have a couple handfuls of teams or schools nationally that are operating in the black. … I don’t think you can do it just for the revenue-earning sports. I don’t think Title IX would allow that. … You can take a look at it.”

With Michigan and Ohio State struggling for various reasons, is that good or bad for the Big Ten?:

“Those are our brand teams. Those schools have been, historically, very good. We have another team in Nebraska joining the league that is a brand team. I think we’re a team that has continued to garner respect and continue to move up because we’ve been consistently good since the early 90s. I don’t think it’s good for our league. It might help us, but I don’t know if it’s overall good for our league or good for college athletics.”

Is it possible to run a clean, successful program today?:

“You can. You’re inadvertently going to break rules. … Every month we turn in violations, secondary violations, such as that. I think that’s what the NCAA wants to see are those schools that are diligent and really do watch what’s going on. If you don’t turn in any secondary violations, your compliance people probably aren’t doing their job. But the rules, there are so many rules and they are so complex it’s impossible not to have secondary violations. But if they continue or there are just too many of them, you’re probably not doing as good a job as you should.”

What does he say to a fan that might think that looks at Ohio State and USC and believes every program must be doing the same thing?:

“I don’t think that’s true. I think we have so many more good things than bad things happening in college athletics right now. The interest is higher than it’s ever been. … It does concern you when you have the two teams that played in the national championship in football last year under investigation and UConn in basketball went on some type of probation. … You have schools like Ohio State and Southern Cal that had their issues. … It does send up a flag and some concern to people. But I do want to make it perfectly clear to the listeners: To win, you don’t have to do things illegally. … Everyone is not breaking NCAA rules.”

Listen to Barry Alvarez on WSSP in Milwaukee here

Bruesewitz, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound redhead, debuted a shockingly awesome “ginger fro” that attracted attention from the get-go. As his role increased for the Badgers later in the Big Ten season, so did the attention swirling around his hair. The whole season culminated with a brief cameo in CBS’s One Shining Moment at the end of the NCAA tournament.

The crazy hair tale extends much further than that, however. Since Wisconsin lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Butler, Bruesewitz has sported cornrows, and has since buzzed his head for charity (click on link for the video). Oh, to be in college again.

Mike Bruesewitz joined The Big 1070 in Madison with The Mike Heller Show to discuss why he went to cornrows, why he quickly got rid of them, the attention he’s received for his hair, why he buzzed his entire head and what he plans on doing with his hair next year.

On getting rid of the ginger fro to go to cornrows after the tournament:

“That is the truth. There is photos on the internet of me having cornrows. It’s just something I decided to do; I thought it would be fun. I had the technology to get cornrows, with the hair. I felt like I can only be in college so long and I thought it would be a funny thing to do.”

What he decided to do after the cornrows:

“My cornrows fell out about two days after. They started getting unraveled and coming undone and it didn’t look very good because it looked fantastic when I had them in, obviously. … So I took them out and now I’m back to the normal fro.”

Did he think his hair would cause such a commotion?:

“Not necessarily the entire year. I thought, initially, people would kind of look at me funny or say some things. But, after a while, I figured people would just be like, ‘Yeah, whatever, it’s not a big deal.’ … Funny, when things start going well and you start playing well and you look a little bit different than everyone else, people start to talk about you more.”

The latest happenings with his hair:

“We’re going on, me and John Leuer are going on [TV], I’ve got to get out of bed at about 5:30 … and we’re getting up and going over to the TV station and we’re going to cut my hair for the multiple sclerosis foundation. Teamed up with them. After the season, I kind of talked about, I was going to buzz my head just because I wanted to get back some normalcy. … There’s a big MS walk coming up here in a couple weeks so I thought maybe, I know some people, my aunt’s affected by it and some of my friend’s moms are affected by it … so I figured I might as well do something good.”

What kind of style will he come back with next fall?:

“There’s no definitive plans. The mullet [has been brought up]. … I think I could probably rock it for about a week before I look too trailer park-ish. … You’ll be surprised. If it’s a buzz cut, people will be surprised. I think the anticipation is better if I don’t tell you.”

Listen to Mike Bruesewitz on The Big 1070 in Madison here

Ryan joined Mike & Mike in the Morning (with Doug Gottlieb filling in for Mike Greenberg) on ESPN Radio to talk about the Badgers overcoming a late deficit against Kansas State, the mood on the sideline when the Badgers had their backs against the wall, the last two defensive possessions where Jordan Taylor fouled a three point attempt and then blocked the final Wildcats’ shot, the respect he has for Wisconsin’s Sweet 16 opponent Butler, how he wouldn’t consider being unethical and reaching out to longtime protege Rob Jeter who coaches against Butler multiple times each year as the head coach of UW-Milwaukee in the Horizon League, and what he thinks accounts for his team being the most efficient offensive squad in the country according to Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings.

On the Badgers staying poised and overcoming a late deficit to topple Kansas State:

“Well I think our schedule that we played during the year, guys, prepared us for moments like that. It’s one of those things where you can’t change who you are. You’ve got to go to your strengths, you’ve got to play it out, and we had some guys hit some big shots. Even though Jordan Taylor struggled with his shooting accuracy needless to say — he was 2-for-16, I think that qualifies as struggling — we were able to find some other guys to get it done. And we did it with our defense and we did it with our free throws.”

On his star Jordan Taylor fouling a three-point attempt on the second to last possession, then blocking (yet nearly fouling again) a three pointer once more on the final shot:

“Well you must have had a mic down there because it was interesting needless to say. First of all, for me to question whether or not there was contact on the other foul I can’t say, because you know our rules about talking about officiating. But there’s a case, the angle sometimes can make the difference. But on the other one that he blocked, he was well out in front of him. Actually I was surprised and when I looked at it again, the reason he was able to get a piece of it was the low trajectory. And I think he was maybe anticipating contact again, but Jordan was well out in front of him. We really don’t want to foul a three-point shooter, but we rallied from that and we got it done at the other end by hitting a couple of free throws to give us the three point lead again.”

On Wisconsin’s Sweet 16 opponent, the Butler Bulldogs:

“Well nobody respects teams like the Butler’s of America like yours truly. I coached in that league a couple of years at UW-M and have watched Butler for a long time. It’s a great program, and Brad (Stevens) does a great job, and the coaches before him did the same thing. Good solid basketball, good shooters, guys that can take you inside and outside, and they had been winning for a reason — because they’re solid. I have a lot of respect for them.”

On resisting the temptation to get a scouting report on Butler from his protege Rob Jeter who’s now coaching UW Milwaukee in the Horizon League:

“Absolutely not. As a matter of fact, we did talk yesterday about something else but no scouting reports. But we do have the films that we take ourselves, it isn’t films that were sent to us. You know with synergy now, you can get every clip…it’s so different now, scouting, Doug then when you played. You can get every out of bounds play, every three-point shot, every post feed — anything on another team you can get. So visually they have us, we have them. So talking to other people about a scouting report, first of all it’s unethical in the league so that hasn’t happened. But we have everything on them, and they’ll have everything on us.”

On his team being the most efficient offense in the country according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings and what he believes accounts for their success at that end of the court:

“Even after that Penn State game? Smart players, guys who value the basketball, guys who utilize what our assistant coaches do with the scouting reports and the things that they bring to the table. You have to look at something like that and say ‘well this isn’t the first year that we’ve been way up there in offensive efficiency ratings.’  It’s our teams have been willing to commit to that and it’s just something that you’re willing to accept every day in practice. It’s the way we chart our possessions, it’s the way we analyze each practice, it’s all about efficiency. Maybe some teams don’t have the same athleticism as other teams, maybe some teams aren’t as big, aren’t as coordinated, maybe some teams don’t have as many outside shooters. But there are certain absolutes that you have to have in basketball to give yourself a chance. And that’s taking care of the ball, playing position defense, getting on the glass, making free throws. Those things just have to be there to advance, or to even get to the tournament in the first place, and then to advance.”

Listen here to Ryan with Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio (interview begins at 25:50 mark)

How they got here was quite incredible. First, they escaped the 8/9 game against Old Dominion when Matt Howard tipped the ball in following a frenzied final few seconds near the Butler rim. Then, against No. 1-seeded Pittsburgh, the Bulldogs got more of the same. First, they fouled the Panthers with just over one second remaining, allowing Pitt to tie the game at the free-throw line. However, the Panthers missed the second free throw and fouled Howard on the rebound, who made a free throw to win the game.

Perhaps the victories came in surprising fashion, but the Bulldogs are quickly proving that advancing in the Big Dance is no fluke and we should not be surprised that they’ll be playing in the second weekend. Next, they get Wisconsin for a chance to advance to the Elite Eight.

Brad Stevens joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with Grady and Big Joe to discuss the final seconds of the Pitt victory, why the Bulldogs have been so good in late-game situations, what spurned their 11-game winning streak, what it’s like to coach at this point in the season, if we’ve gotten to the point where we can’t call Butler runs magical anymore and the matchup with Wisconsin.

What he’s telling the team after it fouled Pitt in the final seconds, giving the Panthers a chance to take the lead:

“The first thing that’s going through my mind is I hope we have more than 0.9 seconds left and they change it to 1.4. Then, we’ve got a lineup in that we’ll run a bunch of cutters on the other end of the floor and try to throw a baseball pass and see what we can get. … I’m trying my best — and it’s not always easy because you’re competitive and in the moment — to take emotion out of it.”

Why are the Bulldogs so successful in close games?:

“I think we play til the final horn. I think we’ve got guys that believe in one another and that extends throughout our entire team and staff. We’re all on one page. And then, certainly, there is an element of fortune and luck that’s involved.”

What has been the difference for the team during the 11-game winning streak:

“One of the great problems with the way the scrutiny during the season goes is sometimes you can play relatively well in certain areas and lose because you get beat on a given night. … We never mentioned the Youngstown loss again. We mentioned what we did well and tried to build on it.”

On what it’s like to coach during the tournament, especially during runs like this:

“One thing that I learned last year after this run is you’re straight going on adrenaline at this time of year and you do have to prioritize some rest. It’s a draining, draining season as it is if it ends in the conference tournament.”

Are we at the point where a Butler run is no longer magical or a Cinderella story?:

“We’re all prideful enough to think that you control your own destiny in every which way. When you’re at the gym as a coach or a player six or seven days a week for six months, you really feel like the investment is something that’s unique. We’re investing the same amount that everybody else is investing that we’re playing against. … If you want to call it magical, if you want to call it luck, if you want to call it an extra good bounce, that’s part of the game.”

His thoughts on the Sweet Sixteen matchup with Wisconsin:

“I don’t know if [Shelvin Mack and Jordan Taylor] will guard each other or not, but they’re certainly two of the better guards in the Midwest and in the country. Both have played really well. And then you look down, as well, at [Jon] Leuer and [Matt] Howard and you’re looking at guys who have also established themselves as some of the best forwards in the country. … This team is really unique in their skill level. I think they’re the No. 1-rated offense in the country and their defense is outstanding, too. Bo Ryan has himself … a legitimate Final Four, national championship contender.”

Listen to Brad Stevens on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

As the final buzzer sounded, the Badger faithful stormed the court in jubilation and Buckeyes star Jared Sullinger posted on his Twitter account that some of the Wisconsin fans spit on him. Now whether or not this is true is anyone’s guess at this point, but if it happened, Wisconsin fans took it too far. Judging from Bo Ryan’s comments on the matter though, he seems skeptical.

Bo Ryan joined The Dan Patrick Show to talk about the huge win against Ohio State, the game that Jordan Taylor played, who he heard from after the big win, what his impressions were of Jared Sullinger following the Badgers win, and what he makes of Sullinger posting on his Twitter account the fans spit on his after the game:

If he felt his team could really pull the upset:

“Coaches are supposed to be stoic and act as if it’s happened before. I liked our chances, but I just felt like Ohio State had done so many good things in a row that maybe we could have our run too and we did. Jordan Taylor just uplifted the whole team, the fans responded, and once the fans got going it was what we needed and it felt good.”

On Jordan Taylor taking over in the second half:

“Jordan always has that green light. He had it somewhat last year but Travon Hughes was the point guard last year, this was Jordan’s time, it was his team from day one, and he has handled it extremely well. He makes all the calls on the next possession offensively when they get into their little huddles in their dead balls, he is a coach on the floor, he’s a tough young man, and very bright. I have always said he will be President or at least governor of Minnesota where he is from, but he’s just that kind of young man. He didn’t flinch and the other guys just jumped on his back.”

Hearing from Aaron Rodgers after the win:

“Yeah. I had texted Aaron earlier about how much fun he could have at a Badger game because he asked me if he could come down and see a game. Then he got busy with the playoffs for that other sport and then the Super Bowl came up. He did tell me before, we’ve had a chance to play in some golf charity outings that Andy North has done in the area with some other locals and Aaron has been gracious enough to attend, so I got to know him there and I’ve always been impressed with how he handled that whole situation. Not just the way he took them to the Super Bowl, but he’s that kind of guy. He is a big basketball fan and I’m looking forward to having him come down for a game.”

How good Jared Sullinger is:

“He is as good as any player. Physically I don’t think there’s a match. I think he’s better than advertised as far as his positioning, his touch, and his fade away three towards the end of the game that actually gave them a chance to get us when it looked like there was no way that we could get that game. He got a lot of attention from us that maybe hurt us a little bit off some other guys, but still you look at the 19 and 12 and it’s wow I didn’t even realize he had done that. He’s physically ready for the next level, crafty enough, the use of his body, great hands, and has good balance. He’s very good not only with his back to the basket but his touch now facing the basket has greatly improved.”

On Sullinger’s allegations that he got spit on after the game by fans:

“I don’t know anything about that. (Host: Yeah he posted it on his Twitter account.) We’ve got the best fans in America. It’s such a treat to be coaching in that Kohl center with the fans the way they are. We’ve got the best. That’s something that I feel very strongly about. We’re good. Our fans were busy on the floor. They were having some fun.”

Listen to Bo Ryan on The Dan Patrick Show here