Ryan Addresses Media Monday
November 04, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan spoke to the media on Monday during UW 's weekly news conference. Ryan talked about the Badgers opening the 2002-03 season and addressed various issues about the team.
A transcript of the news conference follows. The news conference video is available by clicking on `multimedia' on the red menu bar.
Do you think our team is ready to play a game ' 'Our players are definitely ready to block out somebody else than that same familiar number across from them everyday. The drill work gets a little monotonous at this time, but it's necessary. I think they would like to go against some other bodies and get a chance to see what they've picked up and where they are. I know they're anxious.'
Are you anxious' 'Very much so. It 's that time.'
What is the main thing you are looking for from your team 'I'd like them to try to do the pre-game warm ups correctly without anyone getting hurt. Get our talks lined up what we say before a game, what they can get used to at half time. Just start to get into a routine with the players. How to report in correctly, make sure we find the right spot. John Wooden used to show his players how to put their socks on. I'd like our guys to make sure they know where to report in and make sure that their uniform is on properly underneath their warm-ups. You hate to see a guy go up there and take off their warm-ups and see that he forgot to put his shirt on. Things like that are tough to handle so I think with exhibition games, our table, our scorer's table, our people get a chance to work out their kinks, the shot clock, the game clock'under semiofficial game-type circumstances. Plus, the NABC, the officials and the rules committee, they like to have experimental rules and with the exhibition games it's a great time to use that and there are a couple we're using 'so hopefully, we can get something out of that and get us ready for our NABC tournament.'
Do you expect Freddie to play''We hope so.'
What about his injuries' 'On anything with injuries, I really wouldn't have any information for you, and that would be the same way all year. So you can keep asking, but I just don't have any information. '
You can't comment on his eligibility ' 'I don't even have any information. Not until right before the game.'
What rules are they going to look at during the exhibition game' 'I think the wider lane and 3-point mark is back, nine inches to a foot somewhere in there. I don't know, I think Otto was talking about putting down some lines for us so maybe today and tomorrow we'll practice with those. For sure tomorrow; I don't know about today. They're trying to open up the post a little more by trying to, you know, to take away the bodies, the bodies are stronger, thicker. The post gets to be a pretty interesting place, and they're talking about the points of emphasis with players making cuts. Quite a few officials that I know that have done our games in the past either at Platteville or Milwaukee or here say, boy, if they call the rules the way they're supposed to this year'on the same offense with guys making cuts through, if they call them we could shoot a lot of free throws. But I'd be really anxious to see if they'll call them.'
Once the clock starts and you are actually in the game what will you be looking for' Are you going to try some of the younger players just to see what they have' 'Well, remember if you play a player Wednesday he plays for the entire year, so I'm not even sure who I'm playing yet. As long as the guy doesn't play, he's considered not using any eligibility. Or what some people would call'is he redshirting' Right now I don't think it really makes any difference if they play Wednesday or Saturday, and whether or not I'm redshirting someone. We're going to see what progresses here this week, but if we don't use a guy, it doesn't mean we're automatically redshirting him, it just means potentially he still has another year of eligibility if we don't use him for the rest of the year.'
Are you considering redshirting anyone' 'Not really any specifics. We're just looking at some areas, of course. Andreas isn't going to redshirt. He's almost as old as that guard you were telling me about. There's some others guys depending on if there's nagging injuries, if there's somebody who has something with the size that knowing that if they had one more year, what would that be like if they got their fifth year, some guys are more ready than others. I don't think we have the luxury of determining too many.'
Have any players come to you asking about redshirting and if so can you name them' 'No. Anybody that comes in and plays for us we're hoping they're players and want to be players. Now that they've had a chance to go against some of older guys, that might change.'
The way you split lines for the scrimmage, is that indicative of how you will line up the game this weekend' 'Well, we had the five veterans plus Ike and Ray who were going to be on that white squad. On the red squad were the rest of the guys and that just meant the five guys who were on the floor last year.
Any thing or anyone stand out from the scrimmage ' 'Well, I think a couple of the younger guys showed us where their tools are and how and if they can use them. I think Tucker and Boo showed that they've been through a lot and physically, they are ready. Jason and Ray are both guys you can imagine being in the post area and dealing with Dave and Mike and even Andreas, who is stronger now, there's some bigger bodies in there. So for them it will be a little bit tougher right now than it is to say for a guard like Boo.
Do you feel that the guys have put it behind them that they won a big ten championship' Are they hungry 'Come out to Elver Park in early September and then talk about that. The conditioning, once you get into that, it's all about what you're doing now, what's next. Yeah, that hasn't even come up. No, I tell you what it did come up. The people yesterday, the 1500 to 2000 people who were in there that came for autographs, they were really nice people to the players. It was really neat to see that kind of interaction with the kids, with college students that came in. With all the adults that said, could you can sign this for my other kid that's at home, because adults never ask for autographs. Did you ever notice that' That was really nice yesterday. So our players left there yesterday feeling pretty good about the way the people respected what they did, but they also know we have to play now.
What's your biggest challenge as a second year coach coming off a very successful first year' 'Well, I think the challenge will be the same no matter what we ended up. If we lose the Michigan State game, we're in 6th place. You know, they're one game further ahead. Our drills, our practice plans are the same right now as they would have been if we were in ninth place last year. That hasn't changed, I mean as far as the preparation, what you do to get ready for a season and the players have been great because they're just looking forward to seeing how well we can play together right now and I admire that in them. Their work ethic hasn't changed so, therefore, as a coach you don't feel the competitive nature in the team is going to change.'
