Wisconsin vs. UW-Superior Postgame Quotes
November 11, 2009 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 11, 2009
UW Head Coach Bo Ryan Quotes
On the effort shown on both sides of the court
"I liked our effort defensively for this reason: you’re chasing smaller guys who are reading each other very well. Look at their execution on their quick exchanges and on their pick-and-rolls. Everything else they were doing was good. Offensively, I thought we could have shot a little bit better. When you get games like that when you get so much out of the paint, we’re going to need to shoot a little bit better from the outside. When you’re not, you at least have to get to the free throw line; we still have to touch the post, and we did that, so we didn’t get away from sound basketball.”
On the energy and hunger shown tonight
“That’s the only way to play. I’m sure all coaches say the same things. There were a lot of deflections and tips, and Pop [Trevon Hughes] was able to get the loose balls by being active. That means we’re playing hard. That’s what we’re going to need.”
On the shot selection inside
“The shot selection tonight was good. We just need to finish better around the basket. Around the basket, we had three or four opportunities in the second half when we could have finished the play. We’re going against in practice two 7-footers every day and today in the post we were going against 6-4, 6-5 players, and they were able to disrupt some of the things we were doing. They were being a little bit more active with their hands at a different level, but I like that we get the contact and competition in the post. We’re going to play teams that are a little bit smaller than us, and we need to be able to handle that. ”
On the three guys who received letters of intent earlier today
“We’re ecstatic. They’re basketball players. It’s a big [Evan Anderson] who can move his feet so much better now than two years ago. He was hedging screens this summer in Vegas; I was so happy he got healthy.
The improvement and overall skills with Josh [Gasser], he can see the floor, he can shoot it, he can put it on the floor, he can defend. He’s just one of those guys that just plays.
Duje [Dukan]—the sky could be the limit for him. He plays basketball against some of the best players around over the summer and during the season. Weekends, he can get into the gym anytime he wants, his coach being a NBA player and an international scout for the Bulls. He’s been exposed to a lot of things basketball-wise. He’s a great student, and boy, does he want to be a player. He is one of the hungriest guys we’ve been around in a short period of time. We’re excited about all three of them. They’re coming here for the right reasons.”
UW Player Quotes
Jon Leuer
On this year compared to last year
“I think this year we have just come so far from where we were at last year, as far as me and Keaton (Nankivil) and Jared (Berggren) and Ryan (Evans). Last year Marcus (Landry) and Joe (Krabbenhoft) were great all-around players. They did tremendous things for this program. We aren’t there yet obviously –even tonight we struggled finishing around the basket –but we are getting there and that’s the biggest difference from last year to this year.”
On Wisconsin’s low 3-point shooting percentage
“Shooting over the course of the season is going to come. You are going to have games in the season where you are knocking everything down and other games where you aren’t. Coach keeps talking about having certain absolutes our defense, like rebounding –that’s really key. We know that we have good enough shooters on this team and that guys can contribute and are going to finish.”
On having a deep bench
“I definitely thinks that’s going to be one our strengths this year. Especially having depth from the 3,4,5 spot, you have somebody that can come and back you up once you have done your job. That’s one of the things we are working on-just every time beat your man down the court.”
Keaton Nankivil
On this year compared to last year
“I think it’s the way our team has played for the past few games that is the big difference. Since last year, just as far as confidence and playing as a team goes, I think you can see that we are a little more ready to attack the season than we were last year.”
On Wisconsin’s low shooting percentage
“I think that shooting is one of the easiest things to improve just because it’s just time and repetition, where as some of the other stuff that we are also doing well is all the preseason work. With the defense and all of that it’s probably better at this point to be shooting a lower percentage and playing better at other stuff than it is to be hitting all of our shots and not doing well at other stuff. So I think it’s just time and repetition.”
Trevon Hughes
On this year compared to last year
“I think that we are just more focused this year. We are hungry and we battle for everything, and that shows on the court. I think that we have the bench. We want to push the ball and when our feet are tired we have backup now.”
On Wisconsin’s depth
“I know that I can go out there and give it my all and when I get tired Jordan (Taylor) can pick up the slack so I just don’t worry about it. I lay my body on the line for the team. That’s what I didn’t do last year and it hurt us.”
UW-Superior Coach Logan Flora
Opening Statement
“First off, I would like to thank Coach Ryan, the Badgers and the University of Wisconsin for providing us this opportunity. Most of our guys are from the state of Wisconsin. This is a lifelong dream to play at the Kohl Center and we are very fortunate to have this opportunity. It was an unbelievable opportunity and I know our guys are grateful for it.”
On Trevon Hughes’ performance today
“He proved he is one of the better point guards in the nation. He was very good. He locked up our point guard who I feel has held his own against Div. I players in the past, who is from Chicago. Trevon was very good tonight. He ran the show and did a lot of good things for Wisconsin.”
On Wisconsin’s energy
They are such a very fundamentally sound team –they are always in position and they work extremely hard. You know one of the things I talked to our guys about after the game was just how we can learn from the tape, watching them.”
