Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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Winning teams share winning formula BEHIND THE DESK BARRY ALVAREZ • UW DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS I heard some people compare our basketball team to our foot- ball team in Albuquerque. I can see what they're saying. We're going to take what the defense gives us. We're going to grind and grind and keep the chains moving. We're going to be tough and physical. We're going to respect the ball, and play sound defense. How we play — and who we are — came up at Bo's press conference after the Vanderbilt win. He talked about unselfish play- ers who understand what we have at Wisconsin. He talked about the fans in our state appreciating effort and a cer- tain way we play. It's true. I've seen that in football and basketball. And the results validate what our coaches are doing: back-to-back Rose Bowls and Sweet 16s. Bo has certain beliefs, and they're all built on principles to win. He believes in things that are sound and allow the type of player you can get to be successful. Having a good point guard in basketball is like having a good quarterback in football. Bo has that in Jordan Taylor, who's always in control. I see how his teammates look up to him and respect him. I remember the first time I met Russell Wilson; I was reminded of Jordan Taylor. Both are quality leaders. Both make the players around them bet- ter. On my first staff, one of the first things that I told my assistants before sending them on the road to recruit was, "I want you to find someone who's tough — and make sure they like football.'' I realized that we weren't always going to get that five-star recruit — that Joe Thomas or Ron Dayne. So I wanted to make sure that we got Bo talked about unselfish players who understand what we have at Wisconsin. He talked about the fans in our state appreciating effort and a certain way we play. It's true. I've seen that in football and basketball. players who were willing to work and improve. Our football and basketball re- cruiting is consistent that way. The principles are very similar, and we operate with the same type of kids. How do you find out if someone really likes football? Or really likes basketball? I always used to ask the high school coach. But you can also find out by just talking to the kid. I'll give you an example. Vince Biegel is a linebacker that we just signed out of Wisconsin Rapids His father, Rocky, was a very good col- lege player at BYU. During the recruiting process, Vince was in my office and I could see how much he was into it. He loves football. You started talking with him and he was ex- cited and on the edge of his chair. He's going to be like a sponge — learning everything. You can't work him hard enough. You can tell that Mike Bruese- witz is one of those players who really likes what he's doing. He has some magnetism about him. It started with that crazy hair a year ago. But he also plays with a little bit of flair. He shows his personality on the floor. I like the fact that he's not afraid to smile, he's not afraid to laugh. He plays with a lot of passion and he's not afraid to get dirty. He will go down on the floor for a loose ball or take a charge. Fans are attracted to players like that; they like seeing how much they're into the game. Bo has a lot of those types of players, and so does Bret. It's all part of a winning formula. 12 » VARSITY MARCH 22, 2012