Maybe we should be thankful that Wisconsin basketball coach Bo Ryan wins most of his games because he doesn’t handle losing very well.

He certainly didn’t handle Monday’s 68-63 loss to Duke in the national title game very well. Instead of being gracious in defeat, Ryan was a poor sport. His post-game press conference was filled with bitterness, excuses and veiled insults.

Ryan blamed the officials for allowing the game to be too physical. And he appeared to take a shot at other programs like Duke and Kentucky for their reliance on one-and-done players to be successful

“We don’t do a rent-a-player,” Ryan said. “You know what I mean? Try to take a fifth-year guy. If other people do that, that’s okay. I like trying to build from within. It’s just the way I am. And to see these guys grow over the years and to be here last year and lose a tough game, boom, they came back.”

Ryan obviously was referring to Duke because four of its top players in Monday’s title game were freshmen, whereas the Badgers were a senior-laden team. And it’s likely that three of Duke’s talented freshmen – center Jahlil Okafor, forward Justise Winslow and point guard Tyus Jones – will take the one-and-done route to the NBA.

I say more power to them because they’re simply taking advantage of what the current system allows them to do.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t have to justify anything he does to win games. The same for Kentucky coach John Calipari. It’s not their fault that they are allowed to thrive in this one-and-done environment.

I also believe that Ryan’s claim that Wisconsin doesn’t rent players is hypocritical. It seems more a case of Ryan not being able to recruit the one-and-done players to Wisconsin, the latest example being high school center Diamond Stone from Milwaukee. He recently committed to Maryland over Wisconsin and a host of other schools.

There is speculation Stone might be a one-and-done player at the collegiate level, assuming he is eligible as a freshman.

Ryan deserves praise for building Wisconsin into an elite program that has withstood the test of time. He has taken a good thing at Wisconsin and made it much better.

Ryan demands a lot from his players and he expects the game to be played with poise and purpose. He expects his players to be unselfish and disciplined and to sacrifice for the good of the team. He helps to turn teenagers into young men with dreams and aspirations.

There is so much to like about the way Ryan runs the Wisconsin program. That’s why his post-game comments on Monday were so disappointing.

Ryan complained about the officials, and yet it was Duke that had to overcome the loss of Okafor and Winslow for long stretches because both players were in foul trouble.

It’s easy to be a good winner. The hard part is knowing how to lose with dignity and class.

I had sympathy for the Badgers after they came so close to winning a national title. However, my feelings changed after listening to Ryan’s post-game remarks.

His message seems to be if you can’t beat them, you criticize them.

Monday’s loss was Wisconsin’s second to Duke this season. The first came in December when Duke defeated the Badgers 80-70 in Madison, Wis., as part of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Duke prevailed on Monday because it was the better team. It had better players, especially in the backcourt, and was led by arguably the greatest coach in the history of college basketball.

I never would expect Ryan to acknowledge those things publicly about Duke, especially after such a crushing loss on a grand stage. Ryan is a a fearless competitor who believes strongly in his players and in his way of doing things.

I just wish he would’ve handled Monday’s frustration from losing without blaming others. Ryan is supposed to set an example for his players.

Learning how to lose with dignity is part of being a head coach. Perhaps the hardest part.