Nov. 4, 2009
Recap | Box Score
Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan
On the game's first play:
"Well, that’s always a positive. It never really matters who you’re playing right now, it’s about what you’re looking for. I thought we touched the post a good number of times, which is an example of what you’re talking about. When we had the combinations in there in the first half, of the guys that know the system better, those guys did okay reading what the other team was doing defensively, getting better angles. It’s a post feed, it’s a dribble-drive, it’s a good finish at the end. I’m never happy unless we get 20 of those a game, so I’m sure we’ll point out some other decisions that we can do a better job of."
On different lineup combinations:
"At the end there, Dan [Fahey] and Q [Wquinton Smith] defensively did a great job. Q actually was pushed off on the one he was called on for a foul. Q beat the guy to the spot. I really like the way he and Dan moved their feet. They were only in there for three, four minutes max."
On Ryan Evans, Rob Wilson and Jared Berggren’s contributions:
"Understanding what’s expected and being apart of a unit. They didn’t go out there to try to beat the world, they went out there to try to and be a good help defensive play, to play the ball hard, to offensively move the ball, make good hard cuts. And that’s all we’ve ever asked of our guys. It’s so nice to look at a guy like Ryan, who never asked, ‘How many minutes am I going to get?’ Never asked, ‘are you going to start me?’ All Ryan Evans ever said was, ‘I’d love a chance to play at Wisconsin. I think I can do it.’ So he’s trying to prove that. Coaching those kinds of guys is so much fun and I just hope he keeps getting better."
On Ryan Evans’ five blocks:
"His timing is pretty good. It’s probably not going to happen too many times, but at least he has that eye for knowing when a guy is going to leave his feet to take the shot. He’s done that to our guys in practice where it seems like he comes out of nowhere. The main thing is, we’re not concerned about how many blocks he’s going for, it’s helping recover, get on the glass. He’s been our leading rebounder, by far, in practice. We chart everything every day. He had one tonight. What we do when we break the possessions down, did his guy get any rebounds? A guy can be a great rebounder and get two rebounds a game, if his guy never gets any. I think Ryan did a pretty good job that way."
Jason Bohannon
On what the team gained from the game:
“We got a lot of team chemistry and got to play against a team that we’re not used to playing this time of year. We did a lot of good things out there tonight but there are a lot of things we can improve on also. I think there were some instances in the game where we went on a little turn over spree and we can definitely fix that, especially going into Big Ten play. I felt like we played well the majority of the basketball game and did some good things.”
On what he saw from the younger players:
“They brought a lot to the game. Ryan came in and got some big play. I think he had five or six blocks today, so when you come in the game and do that, you know you’re doing something good. Rob came and was a good spark. He finished well in the lane, got some good shots and played good defense. When you have to guys coming off the bench like that, you have a lot of production.
On what it’s like for a young guy to learn that confidence:
“Coach gets in our mind early to get the right play and get the proper reads. Rob and Ryan had the opportunity to learn that last year at practice and coming into games this year I think the games are starting to slow down for them. Anytime you come into a collegiate game from high school it seems fast, but they have another year under their belts and are able to make their reads better and play their type of game.”
On feeding John Leuer on the first play for a dunk:
“It was pretty significant We worked really hard in the spring and the summer to really get the ball towards the hoop. I drove the lane line and kind of got stuck there and John made a good cut to the basket and got open and rather than just laying it in there, he went up and dunked it strong. So yeah that’s a big play right there that shows how much more physical he’s gotten. But there’s always room for improvement and we’re still looking to get better.”
On UW’s 19 assists:
“We had a lot of good passes and good reads which led to assists. But we look more towards the poor turnover. I saw some plays where I could have made a better play or bounced it in there and I’m sure Trevon feels the same way. We’re always looking to improve on those things and that will just come with experience with the guys on our team. I think that’s going to be a high point for us, moving the ball around the perimeter, especially in the post and in the post game.”
Rob Wilson
On his confident play:
“It’s a lot of maturity, going through a lot of repetitions. And now I’m more comfortable this year then I was last year.”
On aggressive play:
“I look for my shot a lot more but I also just let it come to me. A lot of plays today were second chances. So I’m just letting them come to me and not try to force things.
Ryan Evans
On having fun:
“I’ve been having a lot of fun out there. Just being able to get out there and build the team chemistry in these exhibition games and getting the chance to feel each other out. So it’s been fun for me and I’m sure Rob and J-bo.”
On his off-season development:
“In the weight room with Scotty, shooting with Rob, Jordan and J-bo. I’m just looking forward to getting out there and playing.”
Bemidji State Head Coach Matt Bowen
Opening Statement:
"First off, I’d like to thank Bo Ryan , the staff and the University of Wisconsin for allowing us to come and play. It’s a great opportunity for our kids. Playing NSIC Division II basketball, we have a very good conference but it’s not every day these kids get to go to the Kohl Center and play a Big Ten team and it’s a great opportunity. I just wish we could have given Wisconsin a better game. We did not play up to par. I thought Wisconsin played pretty well. They do what they do well; they defended very well, they got to the free-throw line, they were very patient on offense and forced us to foul. And that was basically the game in a nutshell for us."
"Their help defense and their positioning was something that we do not face in practice, it’s uncharacteristic for us and it just kind of snowballed from there."
On what stands out about the Badgers:
"No, not really from a Ryan-coached team. Their positioning on defense I thought was very good. Every time we tried to penetrate or make a play there were one or two guys there. It wasn’t too much us trying to make a play from a help position as much as it was us just trying to escape and get out of there. That’s a real compliment to their positioning and how they play defense."
"The one thing Wisconsin does have that I don’t think they’ve had in the past was Hughes. We couldn’t keep him in front of us. We played three minutes and he got three fouls immediately, just by penetrating and playing offense. I’m not sure Wisconsin has had a guard like that in a while."
