SPORTS
Ryan not talking about last season
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Also by Drew Hansen:
- Wisconsin stuns No. 12 Maryland (December 1, 2004)
- Bo's Badgers roll in 2004 opener (November 22, 2004)
- Wisconsin prepares for Maryland's athleticism (November 30, 2004)
Related Stories:
- A storied contest (February 11, 2003)
- UW basketball team eager to face someone other than teammates (November 5, 2002)
- Badger basketball anxious to take on familiar foe (November 19, 2002)
- Ryan no tech-savvy coach (November 7, 2006)
- Ryan, Badgers look to end 2-game road skid (March 2, 2004)
by Drew Hansen
Thursday, October 17, 2002
Five practices into the 2002-2003 NCAA men’s basketball season, the Badgers came out and made their formal introduction Wednesday afternoon at the Kohl Center. Boasting some familiar faces as well as some new ones, the defending Big Ten champions looked wide-eyed and able-bodied to begin their arduous journey back to the top. Interestingly enough, Bo Ryan and company haven’t been using their championship rings and banners as an early rally cry.
“Trying to finish as high as you can in the conference is still what it’s all about,” said Ryan. “I don’t know when the next one’s coming, but we’re going to try every year in this league to compete. I would hope by getting a taste, some of the younger guys would be willing to work even harder, believe more in themselves, accept the challenge, but [last season’s championship] hasn’t been mentioned once in the first five practices.”
Coach Ryan spoke to the media for a little under a half-hour, answering questions about the early practices and zealous training regimens he puts his players through in the fall season.
“The veterans know what to do [in practice]; the younger guys follow,” said Ryan. “They try to pick up technique and the nuances of the drill that way.”
This season’s Badger squad returns eight players. Kirk Penney, Devin Harris, and Dave Mader all started last season, with Mike Wilkinson and Freddie Owens making solid contributions off the bench. Much the same as last season, Bo Ryan will rely on the involvement of several freshmen in order to field a fresh and strong-armed rotation.
“The freshmen are going to have to contribute, which isn’t unusual when you’re in your second year of what your current staff is trying to accomplish,” said Ryan. “It’s an important recruiting class. They’re working and learning and showing some flashes. But I’m looking for those with consistency.”
With redshirts yet to be determined, the Wisconsin coaching staff is pushing and evaluating the talents of four true freshmen. Six-foot-10 Jason Chappell and 6-foot-8 Ray Nixon look to add some height upfront for the Badgers, while Alando Tucker and Boo Wade look to make an impact in the frontcourt.
While the veteran players looked more energetic and excited to be back in the habit of Bo Ryan basketball, the freshmen looked as if they were enjoying a break from what has undoubtedly been a grueling first week of practice.
“I thought [training] was tough in high school,” said Boo Wade, “but this is nothing compared to it … Devin’s been like my big brother, pushing me through it all.”
“It’s a learning experience, especially the first time through,” said Wilkinson, “and [the freshmen] are showing improvement.”
In fact, it seems part of what the veteran Badgers get out of their early season training is an opportunity to take a younger player under their wing.
“It’s fun to say I’m an upperclassman and that I can try to help the younger guys and the freshmen,” said Owens. “When I came in I was looking up to guys like Mike Kelly and Roy Boone to bring me along.”
As the Badgers keep their serious and positive demeanor towards their early-season conditioning and scrimmage drills, Bo Ryan and staff look to concoct a strong rotation among their players to put on the floor this winter.
“I don’t know about a rotation yet,” said Ryan. “We’re still trying to figure out who will be playing what position. I’d like to be at least 8, 9 [deep] on the rotation, if not 9, 10. But by mid-November, we should have that down.”
When that rotation is set and put into action, there will unquestionably be great expectations for this Badger team to repeat as Big Ten champions. While the Badger freshmen continue to seek ways to get through the physical pressures of early practice and conditioning, the returning players look to the rafters for their inspiration, even if Coach Ryan hasn’t spoken about it.
“Winning is everything,” said Wilkinson.
“You always want to finish strong in conference,” said Harris. “We have our non-conference schedule first, and we have to do that, and then we’ll go from there.”
“We’re setting our expectations very high,” said Owens. “But we have to take it one game at a time if we want to get there.”
