By Drew Hammen
I want to start by thanking all of the fans for the decent turnout and great support for our team. Intrasquad scrimmages are always difficult to watch and compete in. There are awkward silences for the fans, and we are competing against our practice partners whom we are very familiar with. However, it's a good way to gauge where we are at as a team, what we have to work on, and how we have to adjust our competition-day routine.
As a team, we looked pretty active and aggressive for the most part. The teammate I was most impressed with was freshman Shawn Perry. It did not matter to him that Ruschell is a returning All-American; he came after Kyle every second and did not stop until the whistle blew. The mentality that Perry showed is what we strive to attain throughout practices and competition. Despite those who went out there and opened up their offense, there were a few guys who froze up. I know that these guys have solid offense, I observe it daily, but they need to open up when they get on the competition mat and let it all out. We are a very offensive team, both on our feet and on the mat, but it will become a problem if we cannot transfer that aggressiveness over during competition.
- When asked by the Big Ten Network what the team learned and gained from its NCAA tournament run last year Bo Ryan said, "confidence." He explained that the team learned to come through adversity and they got a taste of what it takes to compete at that level. He also added that the tournament, more specifically the end of the Florida State game did a lot for Trevon Hughes' confidence. I get the impression he thinks this will be a big year for Hughes in a leadership and play-maker role for the Badgers.
All 11 Big Ten Conference men's basketball head coaches had the opportunity to address the media Thursday as part of media day activities in Chicago, the same day the league announced its preseason poll and preseason All-Big Ten team.
Michigan State was tabbed as the favorite to win the Big Ten for a second-straight season, while the Spartans' Kalin Lucas earned preseason player of the year honors.
Joining Lucas on the All-Big Ten squad -- which is comprised completely of juniors -- are Michigan's Manny Harris, Ohio State's Evan Turner, Penn State's Talor Battle and Purdue's Robbie Hummel.
Behind Michigan State, Purdue was projected for a second-place league finish, while Ohio State has been tabbed for third.
A total of five Big Ten squads were included in the newly-released USA Today-ESPN preseason coaches' poll, led by the Spartans at No. 2. Also in the initial rankings are Purdue (7), Michigan (15), Ohio State (17) and Minnesota (18).
Here's a sampling of what the coaches had to say about the league heading into the 2009-10 campaign:
MADISON, Wis. - Please follow Betsy Golomski as she chronicles all the action from tonight's Intrasquad Scrimmage live from inside the UW Field House.
Tonight's match begins at 7 p.m. and the blog will begin shortly before that. There will be 11 matches in tonight's scrimmage.
Thursday is a busy day for head coach Lisa Stone, Alyssa Karel and Teah Gant. All three are participating in 2009 Big Ten Basketball Media Day in Chicago. We will be providing updates throughout the day on all the events of media day, so be sure to check back periodically.
11:22 a.m. Only about 30 minutes left to media day. The room is still buzzing with a number of media members...I'd say Michigan State men's head coach Tom Izzo had the most people at his table today. One thing that is interesting to notice with all the media members is the different gear they travel with. There are a number of different kinds of video cameras, tape recorders and other different technologies all being used to capture the story today.
Big Ten Basketball Media Day is upon us... Chicago here we come. Coach Ryan drove down to Chicago earlier today, and I'll wait behind to take our players. We are taking our two senior captains (Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes) down to Media Day this year - no brainer. Jason has class until 3:45 p.m. and we'll leave as soon as he is finished. Can't miss class!
Coach Ryan's schedule begins with a trip to the Big Ten Network studios in downtown Chicago tonight. He and the other 10 Big Ten men's basketball coaches will tape a Coaches Show in the BTN Studios before holding a business meeting with conference officials. The women's coaches will also be in Chicago tonight doing a similar circuit.
After practicing for nine days straight, the Wisconsin men's basketball team is enjoying a day off today. The team's typical off day is on Sunday, but with the Red-White scrimmage this past Sunday, the team had to alter it's plans. NCAA rules mandate that the team has to take at least one day off per calender week, which runs Sunday to Saturday.
Coach Ryan told the guys to use the day to get off their feet and rest any nicks that they may have gotten over the last few days and work on their studies. So far (typed while knocking on every piece of wood I can find) the team has been pretty healthy in the early going. There have been a few rolled ankles and black eyes, but nothing that has kept anyone out of practice.
By Drew Hammen
Two weekends ago, the Wisconsin Wrestling Mother, Sandy Berndt (who is
the program assistant for the wrestling team), was kind enough to put
together a meal for our team at her place. We all brought a dish for
the feast and enjoyed some college football. The gathering was
definitely a success and I know everyone is looking forward to the
upcoming season and our intra-squad scrimmage on October 29th.
Standing at the top of the Elver Park hill on a crisp, but calm October
day it seems as though anything is possible. From this exact spot, Big
Ten title campaigns have been launched and the building blocks for runs
to the Elite Eight have been set.
Please join Jacqueline Boscacci as she chronicles all the action from
Sunday's matchup between the Wisconsin women's hockey team and Bemidji State with the Gameday Blog.
Please join Jacqueline Boscacci as she chronicles all the action from Saturday's matchup between the Wisconsin women's hockey team and Bemidji State with the Gameday Blog.
