Oct. 29, 2009

CHICAGO, Ill. -- Bo Ryan met with the media Thursday at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago. Watch the video of his interview with the Big Ten Network and read the transcript from his press conference.

BLOG: News and Notes from Big Ten Media Day

BLOG: Overheard at Big Ten Media Day

THE MODERATOR: We have Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan. Ryan is in his ninth year with the Badgers and welcomes back three starters from last year's squad to finish 20-13 on the season. Coach, we'll begin with an opening statement, and then questions.

COACH RYAN: First of all, I was delayed downstairs, we were a little behind. I didn't want you to think I was slow in getting up here. I'm excited about this year, like the rest of the coaches, we know how good the league is going to be, we know we have a lot of work to do. We have some players that have to grow up in a hurry.

And that's our challenge right now with our practices and our nonconference schedule. Will definitely prepare us for the Big Ten.

Q. Coach, can you talk about how competitive the league is? Some of the coaches talked about this might be as strong as it's been top to bottom?
COACH RYAN: Well, I think it's going to be tough for the obvious reasons when you look at a stat sheet, when you look at rosters, you look at what's returning. People did not lose -- I don't know about other teams' total stat sheet, but for us Krabbenhoft and Landry, if you look at their lines straight across, we lost a lot with those two guys.

And on the defensive end where there's a lot of stats that aren't even kept on how they helped and recovered and how they blocked out or how they did some other things, but I think when you look at the rosters and the stats and the experience that's back, that's why I think the Big Ten top to bottom is going to be that competitive, and you can have a pretty good team and maybe not make a whole lot of noise in the league. And that's happened before.

Q. Talk about you've had big, strong people up front and tough rebounders. Are you going to be able to do that this year? Do you have that kind of talent to be strong in the center and power forward positions?
COACH RYAN: There's no question that was a weakness for us last year. Physicality up front, but mainly because two of the guys that played a lot of minutes were just sophomores and young sophomores.

There are older players, sometimes, depending on their age when they graduate from high school, and there's also players who have already matured while they're in high school. Well, both Keaton Nankivil and Jon Leuer were still guys growing and filling out and maturing even after high school.

So that's one of the things that I thought, one of the areas I felt we could definitely get better this year is the fact they were going to be older in a physical sense, a mental sense, and they certainly seemed that way right now because we're going to need that.

And also hopefully a player like Jared Berggren, a player that redshirted last year -- one thing when you redshirt, you can get into the weight room an extra day because you're not playing. So he's a little bit further ahead as a result of redshirting. So hopefully he can use that on the court and help us up front, because that's an area where we need it.

Q. You said you had some guys that need to grow up in a hurry. Who are two of the three that you really need to grow up in a hurry?
COACH RYAN: Well, I think a guy like Jim Jarmusz did grow up last year. He got some good minutes for us, and while he was hurt, and again you didn't see a lot made of it when we play. But in all fairness to him the only reason I mentioned the injury is because it did hold him back some.

But I think he'll be stronger and better. But Ryan Evans is another redshirted freshman who at times you don't know he's at practice and other days he has a great -- he dominates practice. But that's so typical of younger guys when they're raw.

And we've had in our program some guys who were raw coming in, and by the time they leave they've developed into pretty good players. So Ryan's one of those guys we need some help from. Jordan Taylor and Rob Wilson, both are guards that so far have been asked a lot about, Jason Bohannon and Trevon Hughes, but those guys played some pretty quality minutes. Jordan Taylor more so than Rob Wilson.

But those guys are really going to need to help us, because Bohannon and Hughes, it's great to have two senior guards like that, but you can't play through the nonconference that we have and into the Big Ten with two guards. You've got to have four.

But Jared is the guy that has the ability to help us and he's got to get older as the season goes on, and by that I mean mentally pick up things. Seems like he picks things up rather quickly.

So that's where we are. We haven't had enough practices to really say too much. But a couple of the exhibition games and get into the nonconference and we'll see who it is. But we definitely need some help.

Q. What skills did Jared come to campus with last year and how has he amplified them through his redshirt year and so on in the summer?
COACH RYAN: He likes to play. He likes to compete. And as a big man, he's pretty mobile. So he doesn't try to knock people over to get things done. He plays off of other people's bodies very well. And for those that have ever coached or maybe played as a big, that ability to play off of contact is so important, with your footwork, balance, things like that.

And he's got that. He's got if jump hooks. He's got the up and under. He's got the bank shot, short jumper. And he's not a bad passer. He's developing in that area. But the one thing is if we just get guys who want to be good and who like to compete and can handle Wisconsin, the challenges, then those are the kind of guys we like. Jared is in that category.

Q. You mentioned Ryan Evans as being a raw player, could you also talk about the development of Rob Wilson. You mentioned him a little bit before. But just what he's shown you so far this year?
COACH RYAN: What we've got to get him to understand is sometimes there are younger players who kind of defer to the older guys. Well, that's okay. Until you get out on the court and start competing.

He just, at times, I just think he could be a lot more physical in his play and he can. It's being able to do it all the time. But there's so many players that would fit into that category over the years at a lot of places. So the turn that he has to make, the next step he has to make is really understanding that he should want to dominate the guy that's across from him in every drill.

I never ever have to worry about Jordan Taylor and Trevon Hughes on any drill or any possession. Those two go after each other like there's no tomorrow. That's where I have to get Rob to understand every, every time we get into a drill into a 4-on-4, 3-on-3, 5-on-5, you have got to want to dominate that guy across from you. That's the best way to show respect to him, is take it to him or stop him.

So that's the next hurdle for him. It doesn't mean he's not competitive. It's just sometimes younger players look at a senior and, oh, okay, I'm going to defer to him a little bit.

No way. I like those young guys that come in and just want to help make that older guy better. And if I can take some of his minutes, I'll take his minutes. And it's okay.