Postmatch Quotes
Wisconsin vs. Central Michigan
Feb. 19, 2017
Madison, Wis. -- UW Field House

UW Head Coach Barry Davis
On Isaac Jordan and Connor Medbery:
"[The senior class] means a lot. It was a good way to end the season for Zeke, he wrestled great, a lot of offense there. Connor going out with the tech fall. No doubt about it, two great leaders, two great young men that will be greatly missed. But looking forward to those guys at Big Tens and NCAAs and continuing the upward movement and help them try to reach the success of being a national champion."
 
On the senior class:
"You look at it, Zeke's going to be a four-time All-American, Connor will be a two-time All-American. Both could be national champions. Ryan Taylor was there too. We kind of built a new coaching staff with Kyle Ruschell, we had a plan together to recruit these kids and we're on the road a lot and we came through. This is a great group of guys and I think from there on we went this direction and we'll continue to go that direction."
 
On the leadership of Isaac Jordan and Connor Medbery:
"They're leaders in the room, out of the room, every day leaders the way they conduct themselves and their character. All of those type of things. 
 
"For a team like ours that's young, we need that right now. I couldn't ask for more from those guys. What they've done with our young guys rubs off and they'll pass it towards somebody else in a positive way."
 
On the team performance:
"I talked to the guys about it. From 125 to 157, they're all ranked match ups. I said to the guys, 'these are going to be some tight matches here.' Johnny came through, and we had our chances at 133 and 141, obviously Andrew Crone came through as well. It shows as a team we're going in the right direction, doing the right things. Ricky had a big win too over a ranked guy. 
 
"Good things are going on, so we're really close, but we've got to go to another level yet and they know that. We'll give them a couple days off and then bring them in and work on some skill work to tighten things up individual wise and team wise and then we're off and running."
 
On the plan moving forward to Big Tens:
"I told them last week that the plan was basically to get through Michigan State and Central Michigan. Lot of ranked guys, take it one at a time.
 
"We're going to give them Monday and Tuesday off the mat, but they've got weight training and cardio. Then on the mat Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, then we're on Saturday. A lot of teams are going to slide into the Big Tens, we're not going to do that. Our focus is St. Louis later in March. Film work, skill work, and then take it from there."


Senior Isaac Jordan
On winning on senior day:
"Senior day is special, obviously the last time in the field house. Central Michigan is a good team, it was a good way to end the season for us as a group we had a good last two weeks, so yeah it was fun to go out there and wrestle well."
 
On how important it is to wrestle really well going into Big Tens:
"Confidence-wise, it's good to end the season wrestling the best you have all season. I think I have another notch I can take it to and it's a good stepping stone to take to Big Tens and Nationals."
 
On improving going into Big Tens:
"We are going to take a day out of the room, let our bodies heal a little bit, and hit it hard for our week off and then get ready for Big Tens."
 
On the last time wrestling in the Field House:
"It's special, but it hasn't quite hit me yet because I have two more big tournaments, but it will hit me afterwards."
 
On where the team is at and where he sees them heading:
"I think some guys are looking really good and some are holding down on themselves, but I think as a whole we are looking really good going into Big Tens and Nationals, it should be exciting."
 
On being called one of the best wrestlers in UW program history:
"Wisconsin is a great program with a great history, it would be an honor to be considered as one of the best it's had. I'm looking to add to my resume, hopefully end my year off the way I want to."


Senior Connor Medbery:
 On wrestling in front of the UW fans one last time:
"I think it was great to be in front of our fans one last time, it was an exciting dual, we had a lot of great matches. I think it was kind of fun having it end on me and being able to go out there and wrestle hard and try to get the W for my team. Overall, it was an emotional day and tons of nerves, but I was excited to go out there and compete one last time."
 
On being known, along with Isaac Jordan, as some of the most prolific UW wrestlers:
"I think having me and Zeke on the same team is pretty incredible, obviously he is an outstanding wrestler and he has done some amazing things, and he has made everybody better. I know he has made me better. We room together on the road this year and feed off of each other and being able to build on this is pretty great. It's an honor to be a part of this program and to be successful and I think its proof that this program is on the rise and we are going to try bringing good recruits in and keep moving forward."
 
On how to keep rolling after a big win like this:
"We are going to take a couple of days off, train hard this next week, we are not going to taper yet. We have plenty of time and this is the time to build and try to catch some of the guys ahead of us and seperate the gap that we have beaten before. We will taper, but we have a lot more to do, we have tournament time before us."
 
On beating a top-ranked team:
"We have had two big wins in last two weeks, it is something to build off as a team and motivate us. The guys who lost have somethings to learn and the guys who won have more to learn to because we didn't wrestle perfect matches by any means. Just moving forward build off what we can do and get ready for St Louis.
 
On the last time wrestling in the Field House:
"It is kind of disappointing, it's sad, but I don't think it has set in yet.  I think it will eventually but like I said it was great honor to wrestle in front of the fans with the W on my chest one last time."
 
On added pressure when the dual falls on him:
"It's been awhile since it has come down to me. In Minnesota it came down to the last match too and I said these are the matches that I don't like watching, I want to be out there wrestling. So I reminded myself of that and went out there and competed."
 
On his plan for the postseason:
"I think it is just working on the little things and building from there. I have wrestled a lot of the top guys already so they will have to learn new things. So, just continue to build."