Nov. 16, 2010
Recap | Box Score
Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan
On limiting turnovers in the first half:
"What I was really impressed with was that we still had good shot selection going for us. We didn't try to force things. I thought they did a good job of keeping us within what we try to do offensively, get good shots, which we obviously did. Anytime you take care of the ball and you're getting in the right places, that is always welcome. They played pretty good defense, too."
On Jon Leuer's assists and his response to being double-teamed:
"He could have had 10 assists. We bobbled a few of them. I thought we did a great job of seeing the floor and not forcing things. He'll need that against some other opponents that we play. He'll see some of the same things, and we know he can pass. It's a matter of creating some space and being able to see the floor. We have to have some guys work on their hands. We could've had an easy three or four baskets right around the rim if we just catch the ball. Just something we have to work on. Jon knows that game. If he's paid attention to like that, he knows how to find people."
On the play of North Dakota's Troy Huff:
"Active, he's just active. We didn't have to worry about the other players when he had the ball. We needed to squeeze just a little harder. He was active. That's the way he should be. That's the way all players should be."
On what Keaton Nankivil needs to do to stay consistent:
"He just needs to keep working the mental part of his game and keep his head focused on the things that need to be done. I think he's done some things this year a little bit better, just like last year he did some things a little bit better. With him, it's always just day to day and about staying focused. For some guys, certain things just come naturally. Keaton, I think, he has to do some things mentally to stay one step ahead instead of sometimes getting one step behind. That's a challenge for a lot of guys."
On the chemistry between Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer:
"Well, they've been playing together for a while, so we're hoping that that's something that will be a constant during the year. Some nights it might not be there as well, but those guys feel pretty comfortable around one another. But, it's five parts, not two, and teammates need to feed off one another, encourage one another, and, as we always say, play off one another. Hopefully that's going to keep progressing, but we're not there yet."
On going on the road and playing UNLV:
"Now, we'll go on the road. We'll go to Vegas, [an] athletic, strong, tough-minded [team]. We'll see what we can take from these exhibition games and two nonconference games. We'll see what we can put together there, but I never read too much in or too little in. It is what it is. What we do on Thursday and Friday to prepare for Saturday, we'll work on some weaknesses and get ready for what Vegas does."
Junior G Jordan Taylor
On the team's performance overall:
"I think that we played well. Obviously we still have some things we could improve on. But we are going to keep improving as the year goes on--finding different guys and different rotations. I think we are all ready to go on the road. It's obviously fun to play at the Kohl Center, but road trips are fun, too. We are looking forward to going out to Las Vegas and try to get our first road victory."
Senior F Jon Leuer
On the team's ability to pass:
"We are always looking for one another. We are an unselfish team. That's definitely one of our strengths. There were some areas tonight where the defense collapsed on me, so I was able to find some guys and thankfully they were able to knock down some shots."
On his ability to read the defense:
"It's kind of hard to learn about your passing. It's really just more about the more you play in open gym games, the more repetitions you get, you see things a little better. That's what I was able to do tonight, read the defense and make the play--hopefully. I had a few turnovers too that I'd like to have back. That's just basically it, just read the defense and make plays. It's that simple."
Senior F Keaton Nankivil
On his ability to score against North Dakota:
"I think that a lot of it had to do with how Jon Leuer was reading that double team. Right out of the gates I think that they decided that they were going to double the post, and Jon did a great job of finding everybody. We ended up with 20 assists, I think Coach said. They are coming off catch and shoot there. They are pretty standard shots. It's more looking for the open shot and hopefully knocking them down."
On the team spreading out the offense:
"It's just a matter of finding your spot during the game. None of us are going to force anything. We are very team-oriented. People aren't here to get their own points or anything like that. A lot of it tonight is that they were going to double Jon Leuer no matter what, and he was doing a great job of finding spots and whether it's myself, Jordan Taylor. We all have to be willing to shoot the open ones and take the right shots. It's not about who is scoring every night consistently."
North Dakota Head Coach Brian Jones
Opening statement:
"I thought Wisconsin did what they normally do to most opponents in this building: they really dominated in the paint. With our lack of size and strength, I thought they did a tremendous job of getting the ball in the paint, regardless of the position. They were very efficient on the offense end, got to the foul line, and got second shots. Through all the years that I've played or coached against Coach Ryan and his staff they've always done that consistently, which is a mark of a good program. They get to the foul line and they don't turn it over. They're very efficient on offense and that's what you saw tonight."
On double teaming Jon Leuer and his passing ability:
"Our goal was to make him work. He's obviously very talented, he and Jordan Taylor. We wanted to limit their looks at the basket. With his length, we were going to take our chances. He's definitely got a lot of skill to his game, whether it's putting it on the deck, or shooting in the post. Keaton (Nankivil) did a nice job tonight as well. They're such a good passing team, whether you play them zone or man, their bigs do a tremendous job of seeing over top of people. We don't have traditional Big Ten size, so those passes were probably a little bit easier for them tonight."
On defending a team with big men who can shoot from outside:
"It's tough. We like what we do because our 4's and 5's are extremely skilled and they spread the defense. Through the years they've had guys like (Mike) Wilkinson or (Brian) Butch who continually spread the defense. It's tough when they can pick you apart inside but also spread you apart with their bigs. Traditionally when you put together a defensive game plan you can use your bigs as help defenders, but it's tough to do that when they are stretching you the way they do."
On his team offensively:
"I was excited to see how our younger kids would respond to the speed and strength of the game. We had some guys that didn't shoot the ball the way they are capable of, which is what we're going to need in our league. I thought our effort and our focus was there. It's easy to get away from you, but I think that both teams didn't play the score, which was what was good about this game."
