Wisconsin press conference quotes
2005 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship
Syracuse Regional
Wisconsin Head Coach Bo Ryan Prior to Syracuse Regional Semifinal against Villanova
Opening Statement
“I'm already a pretty happy guy. I've run into two Wilkes grads, a son of a Wilkes grad whose mom we went to school with me. A young man who was born in the same hospital that I was, in Chester, it was one of the ushers here. This is a pretty interesting place. That and being the only Eagles fan in Wisconsin, getting to be where Donovan McNabb played. If anybody has any souvenirs or whatever they can give me for the trip home, I'll take them. But we're happy to be here. The guys are pretty excited about making another trip and still putting the uniform on. I can't wait to get started.
When you look at what N.C. State does with the Princeton offense, are there any similarities at all between what they do and what you do?
“I think if you talk to coaches, they'll tell you there are a lot of similarities because both offenses try to get good shots, high percentage shots. There’s a theory about offensive basketball, get more shots than the other team, and get better shots. The way you get more shots is by not turning it over, and getting offensive rebounds. The way you get better shots is to shoot closer to the basket, and to make sure that your players are in a position where it's in their range, and that they are taking good shots. That's how you are successful on the offensive end. It can take hundreds of different names, but it’s angles to the basket and counteracting aggressive players. Depends on your personnel, depends on the type of players that you have that can attack the rim. Depends on what type of three-point shooters you have. But it's fun just trying to prepare for teams that do certain things offensively and you try to pick up tendencies and the same thing people do against us. But, sure, there's a lot of similarities. Get good shots and get more of them.”
Have you ever not taken a skilled player because he didn’t fit into your offense?
“No, if they're people who like to play, are passionate about the game, have a good work ethic, if they fit in at Wisconsin or wherever I was coaching, if they fit the school and our players. Our players tell me about recruits when we bring them on the campus. What type of people they are and all. No, because people don't like sitting on the bench so in order not to sit on the bench, you need to do things to get on the floor. But there are certain machines out there that pump out information about certain schools that all the best players are supposed to go to. Maybe you don't always get the greatest athlete by the so-called experts, but we've got some pretty good guys who like to do things as a team, and who like to play off of one another. We've got some guys that take care of the ball. I guess we're sixth in the nation now in fewest number of turnovers. We didn't start out there the first ten games of the year, but we are there now. What does that mean? That means players have learned. That you have players on the floor making better decisions, so that's good. That means that they're listening. So it's a pretty good situation. There's-some other schools that I think would like to be in this position, to be able to just get a chance to run their offense, because a bunch of them now are just playing pickup games.”
Could you talk about the challenges of going up against a team that has a senior leader like Julius Hodge who appears to be peaking for this moment?
“It is a challenge there is no question. He's doing a lot of good things. As many years as I have been watching the tournament, and fortunate enough to see games in Philadelphia as a kid when my dad would take me up and just watching tournament plays, some teams just get some momentum and capitalize on it more than others and they get to keep playing. They have leaders and they have players that are hot and that are really emotionally into it. Hodge is obviously that player for them but we know they have other very good players. It is a great cast, but is he a catalyst. He's good, he's confident, and he's playing. He's an inspirational leader by far, one of the best I've seen this year.”
How do you see this compared to the trip to the Sweet 16 two years ago? Is this is a different team?
“Well no matter what, whether you're in the Sweet 16 or not, each team is different. There are personalities that develop in an individual basis, but more importantly, there's a personality of a team as a whole that develops. I like the personality that's been developed here. It has gone from where we were in November to where we are now. And I have seen definite change for the better. I've seen the camaraderie that has developed, becoming a stronger team, a better team. They handled some adversity, and we said it in Madison and we'll say it here. If obstacles are what makes life a challenge, it's overcoming those obstacles that makes life meaningful. And I think these guys have given a lot of meaning to team and to their own success story by the way they've overcome some obstacles. They've made the season very meaningful for me, I can tell you that, and for our fans.
What's the difference coaching this level and lower levels, mid-major and lower?
“I'm asked that all the time. We're teachers, we’re enablers, we’re facilitators. We're working with young men trying to point them in the right direction and get them to do things as a group, and that they maybe wouldn't do otherwise. I see absolutely no difference on that end except at Plattsville when we were going to the championship game. Needless to say there is more scrutiny on everything that you do, which isn't all bad. It generates what college basketball is today.
2005 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship
Syracuse Regional
Wisconsin Player Quotes Prior to Syracuse Regional Semifinal against Villanova
MIKE WILKINSON
When you look at the Princeton offense on film and obviously seeing it against Northwestern, are there any particularities between what they run, and what you guys run in the swing?
“I would say just based on having seen the offense that a lot of it is based on open reads. I would say some of what we do is based on reads. And there are back cuts, screening and moving away from the ball. I suppose a lot of things are similar. But, it is still not the same type of offense. Both teams are looking to get inside. They both have the same type of principle, get good looks, get easy shots and then take what's best for the team.”
How much has it helped preparation-wise that you see Northwestern every year and have dealt with this kind of an offense?
“I think it has helped a lot. We have seen it before and it is not brand new to us. We've played against it three or four times now, and we have done fairly well against it, but they are not the same team as Northwestern. They do a few things a little different. They have some great players that really know how to play the game, and it's going to be a challenge for us.”
How do you think this team is equipped compared to the team that went to the Sweet 16 a couple of years ago?
“I remember we got beat. I wouldn't say that we're better equipped. We've been there. We kind of have a feeling for the atmosphere, what it takes to get it done. We were in the game until the end and just didn't make some of the plays at the end. We've played a lot of games like that this year. A lot of close games, and a lot of good teams, and we're not expected to be any different tomorrow night.”
When your offense is running the way that you want it to run, what makes it difficult to defend?
“Basically, we have five guys that can score from inside and outside. Guys that can post up, big guys can step out, put the ball on the floor, shoot the ball from the outside. Everybody is moving, and when our offense is at its best, it is almost like a motion. You're just reading what the defense is doing, and if they overplay something, you make a counter to it and that's when it is at its best and you have the freedom to do whatever you want. There are just certain guidelines that you try to follow. We're knocking down shots, getting the ball inside, we can do almost anything with this offense.”
How long does it take before you get comfortable in this swing offense? How long before you guys are individually in sync as a team?
“I guess it depends. When we came here, we ran some of it in high school and some of it in AAU, so I was pretty familiar with it and knew most of the reads right away. The biggest thing is to just understand what you're looking for. Once you understand it, then just repetitions and reading what the defense does. We do a lot of playing in the summer, and just getting the guying to play five on five, and, running against each other. Some people pick it up quicker than others. Some people don't. It's hard to say or give any certain amount of time how long it takes. Everyone has picked it up pretty quickly on this team. Every time we get on the floor, we're getting better at running it.”
What's it going to take to beat Illinois in this tournament? You guys almost did it. What is it about them that has been so good and what's it going to take to knock them off?
“I guess you're just going to have to knock down shots, play good defense, make them work for everything that they get and then come down to our end and knock down shots.
How big of a role does patience play in what you guys do, and does the most patient team win tomorrow night?
“I don't know if the most patient team is going to win. The team that will make the most shots probably is going to win. It comes down to just trying to get what you want, and trying to get good looks. We've done a good job so far of being patient, not forcing anything, kind of letting everything come to us, moving the ball, and then finding the guy that's open. Taking what the defense has been giving us, and that just comes down to once you get the good shots, who is going to knock down more of them. And so far, we've done a pretty good job of that, and have done a pretty good job on the defensive end to make that hold up. I still think it is going to come down to who knocks down the most shots.”
I know that your team didn't have anything to do with the upsets that occurred in this region, but have you given any thought to the idea that you guys are maybe on the brink of doing something special and you haven't had to face a top team yet?
“All I really thought about is every team that we've played has deserved to be here. Every team that gets into this tournament deserves to be here. They wouldn't have made it this far if they were not able to play or didn't have the talent to play. They have all stepped up and got the job done. There are so many good teams in this country and you have to come ready to play every night because anyone could beat you. We have another tough team tomorrow night. They can beat anyone on any given night and they proved that. We have to bring our A game and be ready to go from the tip.”
Do you feel overshadowed by Wisconsin-Milwaukee in this tournament?
“We haven't even thought about it. We're happy for Milwaukee. They have a lot of guys that I grew up playing against or played with in AAU and still talk to every once in a while. So we're happy for them, but we've got a lot to accomplish ourselves. We're just focusing on what we need to do to get ready for whoever we're playing and just taking it one game at a time. We have to get ready for N.C. State, and they are just getting ready for Illinois, and they are not thinking about what we're doing.”
What challenges does Ilian Evtimov pose for Wisconsin?
“He's a guy that's been around. He knows how to play this game. We've watched him on film. He's a great player. He can put the ball on the floor, he can shoot the ball from almost anywhere on the floor. You know, there's not much that he can't do.
We're just going to try to make him work for everything and try to not give him an easy look. We still know he's going to knock some down, but hopefully he doesn't make as many as he would if he was wide open.”
ALANDO TUCKER
Does it make a difference because they have a guy like Julius who is a big personality and kind of a go-to guy for them?
“We've been fortunate to face teams like that during the season. So, it gives us a look at that. We faced teams like Minnesota where they have an emotional leader, and Pepperdine where they've had guys up there that were emotional leaders. So, yes, that gives us a look and prepares us for the energy that he's going to bring because we know he's going to bring a lot of energy. So we're just going to have to stick with it and try to make it a tough game for him.”
Has your team figured out matchups and who could be defending Julius Hodge?
“It is a possibility that I'm going to see him in his zone during the game. He's a guy that we're going to have to wear out. I don't think the coach will come down to who is going to be matched up to him until the game time. He's going to get a lot of different looks on him during the game. It depends on, who is doing a good job on him, who is slowing him down”
How long does it take before you get comfortable in this swing offense? How long before you guys are individually in sync and in sync as a team?
“I have to agree with Mike. You can't really put a time limit on it. When you get it down, it's just different for different positions. The guards in our offense have to be able to post up as well as centers and forwards. For some guards coming out of high school that aren’t used to that, it will probably take a little more time to get used to going into the post and having to work on post moves. Any time on the court any five positions can go in the post and we like to score on that. I would say from the guard standpoint, it might be more difficult than centers and forwards, but it all depends on the person too and how fast they're learning and picking up on our reads. The whole feel for the offense.”
What's it going to take to beat Illinois in this tournament? You guys almost did it. What is it about them that has been so good and what's it going to take to knock them off?
“You have to bring your A game. Everybody is going to have to play and rebound and defend because they've got guys that can score at any five positions. Everybody is going to have to be on top of their game.”
How difficult is it to adjust when you have a short practice time, and getting used to the back drops and shooting it in a dome. Is there an adjustment there?
“There's an adjustment, but that's why you get out there and you have to put in quality minutes on the court and everything that you do has to be pretty much game-like so you can prepare yourselves as quick as possible because it's different. We play in environments like this. We have to be able to adjust and that's what makes you an athlete. You have to adjust to the situations and in the different environments. If we go out there and get quality minutes on the court, we'll be ready.”
Do you feel overshadowed by Wisconsin-Milwaukee in this tournament?
“I wouldn't say that we're overshadowed. Like Mike said, I know guys from Milwaukee, also know a lot of guys from Illinois. When I watch the game, I know I'm going to be excited and I’m going to cheer them on. But no, we wouldn't take that into account or be jealous. We're cheering them on. It is fun.”
