Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Wisconsin Badgers Hoop Team Tour Italy - Recruit "David" for Small Forward

The ANNOTICO Report

 

There are a number of Athletic Teams, Art, History, Language etc Classes, whose obvious choice is Italy as their Destination of Choice during the Summer. This is only one of those hundreds of stories of jaw dropping awe inspired by Italy's Historic and Scenic Sites. 

 

What impressed me especially with this story was (1) the fact that the team was able to appreciate Michelangelo's genius, in this instance, in the anatomical detail, of the tendons in the calves and shoulders of "David", and (2) amusingly, how those physical attributes might best be utilized in what position on a basketball team!!!!!  

 

As an aside, I was also amused by the "physical" vs. "finesse" style of the Italian teams, which better prepared the Badgers for their season.

 

UW MEN'S BASKETBALL: ITALY ADVENTURE A REAL TRIP FOR COACH RYAN

The Capital Times

Madison Wisconsin 

By Rob Schultz
August 30, 2006

 

After studying Michelangelo's David in Florence, Bo Ryan was asked what position the world-famous statue might play in a basketball game. He discounted the theory that you can put trunks on any naked stiff and make him Be Like Mike.

"He wasn't really a guard," opined the Wisconsin men's basketball coach, whose tongue was stuck firmly to the inside of his cheek during the discussion.

Ryan eventually decided David could have played the more athletic small-forward position because, "Michelangelo did such a great job with the tendons in his calves and his shoulder muscles. It is absolutely amazing how much he paid attention to detail."

There isn't much that impresses Ryan more than something that represents success through paying attention to detail. That helps explain why he was so excited with the Badgers' recent trip to Italy that included tours of Rome, Florence and Lake Como.

"It was one of those things that you get to do in life where you get to look back at it and say, 'Boy, was that fun,"' said Ryan of the 10-day excursion that also included fans and some family members of the coaches and players.

They worked as hard on their Tourism as they did their Basketball, taking in as many historic sites as possible. They went to the Vatican, Colosseum and Pantheon in Rome; the Statue of David, Cathedral Square and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Florence; and Lake Como and its breathtaking views.

"Our guys genuinely appreciated the fact that they got a chance to do something that they know the average 18- to 22-year-old doesn't get to do," said Ryan as he described the polite, eager and alert nature of all his players on the trip.

"Having taught history, there were so many things that were really neat for me. But that's secondary to watching the guys and their looks and how they reacted to the things they were learning," Ryan added. "They were in awe of some things and they absorbed everything."

And, just like on the court, Ryan said the Badgers were just following senior forward Alando Tucker's lead every step of the way. "Alando, by far, is one of the best team leaders I've ever been around in my 35 years of coaching. He was great," said Ryan of his star player. "Nobody took in more than him. Whenever your best player is your best example, you know you have something special."...

"...Sometimes you take these trips and the people don't get it. This group got it," he said.

As for the basketball, the Badgers played five games against Italian teams of varied abilities and Ryan said they played well for the most part while going undefeated. "We can learn from it," said Ryan, which got a rare off season sneak peek at his team because of the trip. "It showed us that some guys got better in some areas and it showed areas where we still need work."

Ryan experimented with different lineups as...big men like Jason Chappell, Brian Butch and Greg Stiemsma regularly defended small forwards or guards because the competition was small."... They were hitting some shots and creating some problems for us," said Ryan of the smaller competition. "When we tried to go inside, their guys physically neutralized our size..."

It wasn't uncommon for some of the Italian players to throw punches or shove the Badgers to get them untracked. "They weren't games for finesse players," said Ryan, who punctuated his comment with a chuckle and then added that they reminded him of pick-up games in his hometown of Chester, Pa.

Ryan logged two technical fouls, which he said was well below the Italian average of one per game. "It was one of those things where the officiating, since we're not used to the style, might have seemed to the fans like it wasn't very fair," Ryan added. "In all reality it was kind of what we expected. I had to offer my two cents' worth during the games, though."

That might be similar to what Big Ten opponents will try against the Badgers during an upcoming season in which Wisconsin is expected to be among the favorites to win the conference title. That's why Ryan was enthused about the performances of his backcourt, including Krabbenhoft, Flowers, Bronson, senior Kammron Taylor and redshirt freshman Mickey Perry.....

 

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