Wisconsin's Ryan enters season amid uncertain future

— -- MADISON, Wis. -- The news that rocked Wisconsin's basketball program arrived swiftly in the form of a two-paragraph, 129-word statement issued June 29. Several players were lounging in their on-campus apartments, scrolling through Twitter when they saw the blip explode across their timeline: Bo Ryan, their beloved and fiery coach, said he was planning to retire after one more season with the team.

Bombshell dropped.

"We were like, 'Oh boy, this is about to blow up,' " Badgers guard Zak Showalter recalled.

In the offices of the Kohl Center, the team's three assistant coaches all had an inkling this decision was coming. After guiding the Badgers to consecutive Final Four appearances, including their first national championship game in 74 years, the demand on Ryan's time for clinics and speaking engagements was at an exhausting and unfathomable high. He had just coached perhaps the best Wisconsin team ever assembled, and the program's foundation was long since set. So, the 67-year-old Ryan issued the release that noted his hope was for longtime assistant Greg Gard to eventually become the head coach.

Back in the dorms, players were texting coaches for confirmation, clicking on news stories, texting one another and talking to family members. Despite staring at the words plainly in front of their faces, an overwhelming feeling of skepticism emerged, either rooted in denial or full-on doubt.