Bo Ryan Addresses Media at Monday News Conference
December 17, 2001 | Men's Basketball
Wisconsin head men's basketball coach Bo Ryan spoke with members of the local media at the Kohl Center today to discuss, among other things, the Badgers' upcoming home game against Marquette on Saturday.
On getting a win heading into final exams:
'Anytime you have a success story it always makes things a lot easier. It reinforces the things that you're working on. We can take a five-minute stretch out of that game and that's as well defensively as we 've played. I realize Furman will be questioned by some about who they've played, but we have that Georgia game [on tape] where they really gave Georgia all they could handle at Georgia's place. We knew they presented some match-up problems for us. A bigger than average point guard. Having had a few of those in other places where I 've coached, those guys can cause problems. He was pretty tough in the post, he had a pretty nice shot. I thought our match-up at the end of the game was better with the way we played what they had on the floor. So for us to turn that into a positive by getting a `W,' I think it always helps going in to finals for players.'
On in-state rivalries:
'For me, having coached high school basketball, it seems every school you play is a rival, then coaching at Platteville. For me, it doesn't take on any different significance. I think the fact that as a Big Ten school to be willing to play all the other schools, us and Iowa, within your state, I think it says a lot about the school that they're willing to do that because there's a lot of other places where they wouldn't dare do it. So for me it promotes basketball in the state of Wisconsin, it's players who know one another, playing against each other in AAU and high school and giving people a chance to reminisce. I think it gives the media within the state ' I think these games are bonuses for promoting basketball. I think they're a big plus, so I'm all for that, but for me you always prepare to go into your conference. Who your playing has never made that big of difference because we're trying to prepare for league play and this is another game towards league play, but it happens to be somebody in the state. It will get a lot more attention locally and that's okay. That's something that's good for basketball.'
On the play of Dave Mader:
'I really didn't say that Dave had to give us this, this and this. We'll take what he gives. There's better match-ups for him, certain teams, certain types of playersrs. I think what happened with Julian [Schwartz], Andreas [Helmigk] and Latrell [Flemming] sure changed things, so with Dave, if there's games where he can give us 25 [minutes] and the match-ups and the situation is right, so be it. If there's other games where its 8 [minutes] than that might happen also. It's way to early to say we're either so positive on a player or if we're down on a player.'
On strengths of Marquette:
'Some experienced players who have now been in the system for three years, and a couple freshman that have added a lot. A freshman that's a little older that's already been around some. I think [Dwayne] Wade is that type of player everybody knew he was good enough to be an impact player and he's certainly done that and also Travis [Diener] has given them a lot of positives coming in. They had a good boost from some new people with some veterans back that understand what it takes now. It's the advantages of being in your third year [under a new coach] and they're playing well.'
On his relationship with Tom Crean:
'We did a couple media things together. I've talked to him some, but we didn't get to play one another even though he knows I dropped a lot of hints because at Milwaukee we were trying to get games that would increase the budget at our place. But he's another great addition to the state of Wisconsin as one of the college coaches.'
On Marquette's play:
'They're playing each possession hard defensively. They've improved offensively. They have a lot of different weapons now, not just one player basically that they look for for scoring. When you come to a program there 's different things that are there and different things that you can bring later on and he's now added to what he was left with and now what they can bring having had a couple recruiting classes.'
On playing his reserves:
'We always tend to get what we deserve and they're working at getting better. Again, Neil [Plank], there are some games he'll play more than others. Clayton [Hanson], he'll get in right now in some games, maybe not some others. As long as they're working at it, and in practice they 're giving every indication that they're trying to get better. They listen, they're intelligent, good basketball IQ young men, maybe limited in some areas. You would love as a coach to play everybody all the time but hopefully the one 's who aren't are trying to figure out ways they can help the team and these guys certainly are.'
