The UW men's basketball team opens the season ranked No.24 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Despite the high expectations, Badgers head coach Bo Ryan said Thursday he has yet to find a consistent rotation of players to use. With only a few returning contributors, Ryan and the Badgers will need young players on the roster to step up.
""We're still looking,"" Ryan said. ""We're all eyes and ears right now and watching and observing, seeing who's developed in the off-season, who's maybe a surprise as a freshman or a junior or a senior.""
According to Ryan, the offseason has gone extremely well, but that is not a measure of the on-court abilities and IQ level of his players. One player who has a spot in the starting lineup locked down is star senior forward Jon Leuer.
Leuer is returning from a summer in which he participated in Team USA's summer festivities in preparation for the World Championships. Ryan believes Leuer's mindset going into the festivities is what allowed him to set himself apart from the rest of his teammates.
""Jon is smart in that he went there with the idea that he could learn something and get better,"" Ryan said. ""[He] went in there with the idea that he knew he was going to try and get those guys better and he did … and [Villanova head coach Jay] Wright loved him for that.""
Leuer was invited to participate in the World Championships for Team USA's Under-21 team while also practicing against the older team in order to prepare them for their games.
Ryan believes Leuer gained high praise from both the coaches and NBA scouts due to some of the knowledge he has gained over the years at UW.
""He knows how important scout teams are because he has been a part of that here,"" Ryan said.
Fans have the opportunity to see Leuer and the rest of the UW Badgers' men's basketball team in action at this weekend's Red and White scrimmage. The scrimmage is free to the public and is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at the Kohl Center.
