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2015 NBA Summer League: Duje Dukan’s Productive Summer is a Testament to Bo Ryan’s Tutelage

By James Fitzgerald

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Even though the Wisconsin Badgers came up short in the National Championship Game to the Duke Blue Devils, there was no denying that the Badgers play a quality brand of basketball and have quality players on the team.

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Having the National Player of the Year in Frank Kaminsky and seeing the emergence of Sam Dekker during the NCAA Tournament put a spotlight on how strong the Wisconsin Badgers’ basketball program truly is.

The players that come out of Bo Ryan’s system are fundamentally sound players with a clear understanding of the game which will allow them to excel on the professional level.

Those lessons have served former Badgers’ forward Duje Dukan well during this Summer.

Dukan was picked up by the Sacramento Kings to play on their Las Vegas Summer League team.

This is another case of how being a four-year player in college can give you a leg up on the professional level even if you did not get drafted into the league.

Dukan played well in Las Vegas averaging 9.2 points and 2.4 rebounds through his five games played. He shot 43.8% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range.

Sacramento had to be attracted to Duje Dukan because of the versatility he can bring at 6-foot-10, 218 pounds.

He ran the floor well, shot the ball decenltly from distance, and showed an ability to move without the ball for buckets.

His game understanding is definitely what prompted the Sacramento Kings to sign him to a contract. (Terms were not disclosed.)

This is all attributed to the foundation he has from playing in Bo Ryan’s system and it did not matter that Dukan averaged 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds in a shade over 10 minutes per game in 97 career contests.

It is truly a testament to Bo Ryan and the teachings he instills in his players.

You don’t have to be able to jump out of the gym or be some kind of athletic freak to be effective in basketball, though those things do help.

Photo: Robert Hanashiro, USA TODAY Sports)

Having an understanding of when to cut, when to pass, when to shoot, and which direction to go off of a screen can get you pretty far in the game.

If there was one thing that you would learn from playing under Bo Ryan at Wisconsin it would be how to play the game of basketball correctly.

Some people might feel that the style of hoop played at UW is boring because it lacks flash. But those hoop junkies that love college basketball for the diversity of styles involved will see the beauty in how it is played.

Their style is efficient and effective offensively with emphasis on ball movement and hard-nosed team defense.

Duje Dukan has his NBA opportunity in his hands now, and has the game understanding and work ethic to make the most of it.

Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers /

Wisconsin Badgers

He learned those things because he played under one of the greatest coaches to sadly never win the big one.

The fact that Bo Ryan has not won a championship does not tarnish his legacy or diminish his achievements in the least.

If anything, not winning a championship in a strange way enhances the legend he is going to be leaving behind.

But when people look back at all the players who have made it into the league because of him, and have had successful careers because of the foundation he gave them, people are going to ask how he didn’t end up winning it all.

The cold part is, it does not really matter.

Next: Day 2 of the Pan-Am Games Basketball Tournament

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