Wisconsin Postgame Quotes
Wisconsin vs. UW-Stout
Nov. 8, 2016
Kohl Center– Madison, Wis.

UW head coach Jonathan Tsipis

Opening Statement:
"One of the things that we talked about with the team yesterday is how could we respond from the second half on Sunday (against Winona State). In practice yesterday, I would say we spent 85 percent of the time, maybe it was more, being better defensively.

"We still have areas where we need to get better. Tonight I challenged them each quarter, we were setting a goal we didn't want to let UW-Stout get to, and be disciplined. I think we did make strides tonight and I think in a game like this, we wanted to make sure that each quarter we came out and had that part of setting the tone defensively. 

"We still have work to do. We let them shoot too many free throws. They were in the bonus each of the four quarters, we just gotta be better with that.

"But I thought our trust was better tonight defensively, I thought our communication in that second half, when the defense was on the other side, just challenging the whole team that we need to be communicating even louder and more enthusiastically. I thought defense and rebounding you'll hear me say again and again, is controlled. I think that part of things I was really proud of our group. 

"Offensively we got into transition, 24 assist on 39 baskets. I thought Avy (Young) running the floor got that part of our momentum going, getting under rim runs and Kendra (Van Leeuwen) finding her early. I think that's what then opens up perimeter jump shots, and Suzanne (Gilreath) took full advantage of that. 

"We'll continue to build and I think it's a great opportunity for us as the flagship school to continue this series each year with the Division III Wisconsin schools in the WIAC for that experience for their team to play in the Kohl Center. Coach (Mark) Thomas, I told him he has 448 more wins in the state of Wisconsin than I do. He said his group was really looking forward to it and we're really looking forward to seeing the film and how we can get better for Friday."

On establishing an inside presence:
"Through transition when you're in the half court, the part with Avy's skill inside, Kendall Shaw is skilled inside, Malayna's (Johnson) skilled inside, and when we get back to full strength and have three more post players, I just think that part of it puts so much pressure on the defense. I think there's a willingness to look for each other. That's still a work in progress but I think that part of working off each other just opens up our spacing. 
"There were some valuable lessons tonight where help was coming from different parts of the floor and how we've got to be passers and at times we've got to be better passers from our perimeter people, but we have very different types of post players. I want to try and utilize that because on the floor it helps open things up.
 
"It's in my DNA. I'm coming from a team that I thought had the best two post players on the east coast at George Washington. I think that's because they could run and were unselfish. That's the same characteristics that I see every day with us improving. With Avy and Kendall leading the way, especially as fifth-year seniors, they've been great examples for Abby Laszewski and Grace Mueller. And as Malayna's coming back and Marsha Howard, how we want to dominate that part of the paint, both from a rebounding aspect. But also can we get touches deep in the paint puts a lot of pressure on and you see how our posts are willing passers out of that. We've just gotta make sure at times that they love being passers and that they watch their teammates shoot it…and that's the part that Avy is talking about because I've got to have them as a rebounding presence."

Redshirt senior Avyanna Young

On how important her rebounds are
"It's the most important thing and I know I don't do it as consistently as I should, and coach gets on me every time and I could definitely do better. It's important that I rebound because I'm a rebounder, that's what I do. I just have to continue to do it, and it's going to make our team better."

On whether her play tonight will carry over into the regular season:
"Yes, they push us in practice, we have to run the floor, run the floor because if we don't get open we're getting our teammates open. It just so happened that transition was open this time so now we have to look for our outside post, but it's something that I need to start doing and continue to do."

Freshman Suzanne Gilreath

On her play improving when the floor opens up
"Yeah especially when we run and get people open and cut, that's when it really happens. Roichelle (Marble) had a drive to the basket and I just came up, exchanged "I'm right here!" so it just opened up like that."