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Also by Ben Voelkel:

Rocky trip Outback for UW (January 1, 2008)

by Ben Voelkel

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Michael Flowers doesn’t know yet whether he will be on the court for the opening tip when Wisconsin takes on UW-Eau Claire in the Badgers' final exhibition tuneup tonight at 8 p.m. at the Kohl Center.

"I will know probably 30 minutes before the game," the senior guard said.

Not that it matters much to Flowers or his teammates.

"I don’t think the starting lineup means anything to this team," swingman Joe Krabbenhoft said. "That’s just the five guys that are out there at that time of the game. There’s 40 minutes in the game, and there’s going to be multiple different lineups out there.

"From a player's perspective, I can speak on behalf of my teammates, we support coach’s decisions … and we’ll just go from there."

With that mindset ingrained in his players, UW head coach Bo Ryan uses the exhibition slate to get a feel for lineups that could be used later in the year, as unlikely as some combinations may seem.

"You never know what's going to happen during the season because of injuries … so you still have to look at different types of lineups because the teams that we're going to play vary," Ryan said.

And while the coaching staff tries different looks to see what works, the players are still looking to establish themselves as a team.

"We’re still trying to find our identity out there as a team, so it will come with time," Flowers said.

With one exhibition win easily in the books, Wisconsin now turns its attention to another intrastate matchup against UW-Eau Claire.

"It’s another team that wants to beat us very bad," swingman Joe Krabbenhoft said. "In-state schools want to take down Wisconsin. … We respect everybody we play, and it’s no different with Eau Claire."

That point was emphasized twice in the past few days with conference cohorts Michigan State and Ohio State both losing exhibition games to Division II foes Grand Valley State and Findlay.

"You can’t take any game lightly, even the exhibition games," forward Jon Leuer said. "You saw what happened to Michigan State. It just goes to show that on any given night, a team can get hot, step up and beat you."

While the Badgers' first priority, just like any other contest, will be to win the game, exhibition games give the coaching staff an opportunity to critique how players translate practice themes to game action and pinpoint areas for improvement.

"Doing things that we’re trying to teach, are they able to do that? What’s good is it gets you a chance to hopefully expose some of the weaknesses you might have that you still need to work on," assistant coach Gary Close said.

According to Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, the importance of the exhibition schedule lies in the in-game situations that arise.

"We worry more about what we're doing, and what we're trying to accomplish," head coach Bo Ryan said. "And then what I always like about the exhibition games is our guys figuring out things as the game's going on."

Flowers speaks

Flowers addressed the media Tuesday for the first time since taking a medical leave of absence from the basketball program Oct. 18.

Flowers didn’t address the leave itself, instead keeping the focus on basketball-related issues.

"I was always a part of the program," Flowers said following practice. "The coaches supported me well, my teammates supported me well, just because I was not on the court doesn’t mean I was not a part of the program."

Flowers sidestepped talking about numerous rumors that circulated during his absence, including some predicting his imminent transfer to Winona State, where his brother Jonte plays.

"People will talk, freedom of speech, they have their opinions, but the truth is the truth," Flowers said. "As you see I’m still here in a Wisconsin jersey … I signed a letter of intent for four years, so I’m here."

In the exhibition opener against Edgewood, Flowers showed no signs of rust, scoring eight points and making four steals.

"It’s just like riding a bike, once you do it, you never forget how," Flowers said. "[Missing time] wasn’t a concern for me, or for the coaches or for my teammates."

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