Varsity is the free Official Digital Magazine of Wisconsin Athletics, covering Badgers football, basketball, hockey and more each week.
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BEHIND THE DESK B A R RY A LVA R EZ • UW DIREC TOR OF AT H L ET IC S When it comes to coaching, Bo knows I had been to a basketball game at Indiana before, so I knew what to expect. That's a basketball-crazed state and the people are really into it. But the last time I was there, they weren't very good. Now everybody is fired up because they have a high-profile team that they think has a chance to win a national championship. The place was electric Tuesday night, the place was buzzing. They're not only the No. 2 team in the country but they're all cranked up because we're going in there with a win streak against them, and that just adds to their motivation to beat us. What I saw was great coaching from Bo Ryan and his staff. What I saw was a basketball team that has improved by leaps and bounds. How can you not like what you saw? A couple of weeks ago, I didn't know if anybody could beat Illinois after watching them beat Ohio State. Defensively, they were in your shorts. They were aggressive and athletic. Then I watched our guys dismantle them. To turn around and go from the Nebraska game ― which I heard was ugly ― to beat a very talented Illinois team and then to win on the road at Indiana, man, that's impressive. There's no question that Bo has gotten the most out of his group. I always judge coaches by how much 14 » VARSITY JANUA RY 17, 2013 their teams have improved. You have to get better. You just can't stay the same. This team has gotten better. Indiana was a game of toughness and adjustment. Cody Zeller got 18 in the first half; he's Indiana's offense. Then you basically eliminate him in the second half. That's coaching. I just like the way our guys play. I love watching our freshman, Sam Dekker. Our point guard, Traevon Jackson, gets more confident every game. I like our big guys. We definitely need Mike Bruesewitz out there banging around. I've always liked his personality and what he brings to the team with his hustle. Bo has done an excellent job coaching this group, especially after losing one of his better players before the start of the season. I know that he was counting for a lot out of Josh Gasser. Two days before our 1994 opener, our best receiver, Lee DeRamus, broke his leg in two places. I can remember my son, Chad, was standing next to me at practice and I said, "This is going to affect our whole team, this is going to affect our whole season.'' DeRamus was our home run threat. Defenses had to give him special attention, which took away from their ability to stop our running game. Without DeRamus, who brought a lot of personality to our team, other guys had to step up. You had to make them grow up early; grow up faster than they really wanted. You do what you have to do. You can't go to the waiver wire like they do in the pros. Despite the Gasser injury, Bo and his coaches have really brought this team around and given the players confidence. You can tell that they have them prepared. I've said all along, I love to watch Bo's practices. There's nothing wasted. It's very efficient. Young coaches should go watch and understand what he's trying to do. I don't care whether you're a football coach or a basketball coach or whatever. Watch his practice. He knows exactly what he wants and it all carries over to the court on game day. We've played a good schedule this season, and that helps. When you play good teams, it will pay dividends down the road. It already paid off Tuesday night. When I coached, I enjoyed every win. But when you beat a highlyranked team at their place ― when you silence a big crowd ― there is nothing better. You have to feel good for our guys. What a great feeling and accomplishment to win at Indiana. It should give them confidence for the rest of the year knowing they can line up and play against anybody.