After coaching at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for two seasons, Wisconsin basketball head coach Bo Ryan appreciates the significance of smaller basketball programs getting a shot to play a first-rate university.
This weekend, Wisconsin (3-0) has its first road game of the season as it tips off against the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (1-2). Ryan said he is not only thrilled to play another Division I state university but is also delighted to help the Phoenix open their new arena, the Resch Center.
“It will be a great crowd. It will be a hostile environment I’m sure [and] a great opening night for their facility. Can’t beat it,” Ryan said. “This will be two Saturdays in a row where you’ve got two state schools playing one another in Division I basketball. I think that’s pretty special.
“There aren’t too many states where the university in the state — the largest, the one that’s in the biggest conference — does that type of thing. [UW-GB] had some periods where its teams were very good. Everybody, year in and year out, tries to be the best.”
Under Ryan, the Badgers are 15-1 at the Kohl Center, with the only loss coming last season to Temple in an overtime thriller. Since then, the Badgers have won 14 straight at home, their longest streak since the around the Great Depression.
But now, the Badgers hit the road, where they are only 6-8 during the Ryan era.
“In order to get anywhere, you have to get some things done on the road,” Ryan said. “It’s already been said a thousand times: We have more home games this year, but next year and the year after it gets back to a more normal rate for home vs. away. We expect a tough game. That’s just the way it is when the state schools play.”
Ryan said there has been no talk among the team members regarding overlooking a lesser opponent. He said the matchup is simply UW against UWGB.
“When you’re playing this game, it’s [the] players who are opposing us that feel ‘Hey we’re as good as those guys. We’ve played against those guys in AAU’s. We played against those guys in high school or somewhere along the line. We can play with those guys.'”
The Badgers have dominated play against in-state opponents recently and are 8-0 all-time vs. the Phoenix. If the team intends to continue its supremacy, Ryan said he is looking for the Badgers to step up their level of play this weekend by improving the passing and movement away from the ball.
“Results are good.” Ryan said. “[But] no matter what you do as a team, when you’re looking at it from the coach’s standpoint there is always room for improvement. If you’ve got the meter out, and you’re judging, it’s average right now. On paper it looks pretty good, [but] we’ll have to see if we can maintain that.”
Ryan said he is particularly pleased with the emergence of freshmen Alando Tucker and Boo Wade, alluding to their consistency during practice that has in turn carried over into games.
Tucker has also surfaced as a fan favorite, gaining a reputation for his dazzling jumping ability. He set the Badger basketball record for top vertical leap with a 37-inch jump, breaking former Badger and current NBA star Michael Finley’s mark.
“It’s like anything else, when you get a chance to show what you can do, that’s what competition has always been about,” Ryan said. “You have moments. If you take advantage of those moments, you get more of them.”
