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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."