By Scott Beedy
Staff Writer
Channel 3000

MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team has just two games left in its preseason, non-conference schedule and while next Wednesday's game against in-state rival UW-Milwaukee is being discussed, this week is devoted to finals and that means a different routine for the Badgers.

"What we always do over finals, I call it legs and lungs time," said coach Bo Ryan. "So they don't get stale, we do a lot of shooting, a lot of offensive work, a long of running, conditioning, just to get the cobwebs out."

This season the Badgers are one of just five teams with two wins over ranked opponents. Cincinnati is the only other team to have beaten a pair of ranked teams in back-to-back games. But the Badgers this week will be cramming for tests first and then slam dunking basketballs.

"For those that have ever taken finals, you know what it's all about," said Ryan. "But you've got to stay on some kind of routine. So with our practice time, we have set up they are all based on the finals schedule for all of the our players and it's worked so far, so we will continue to do that."

Ryan turns 62 on Sunday and he says he's not too old to remember taking finals. In fact, it sounded as if there may be a painful memory or two in his past.

"I still have nightmares about missing a final," said Ryan. "Oversleeping on a final or getting to a building, how many have had this one? You go to the building where you know the final is or at least you are pretty sure it is in that building and the building is locked."

Ryan suggested his team use the buddy system or buy an extra alarm clock to make sure they are on time for their exams this week.

As for Ryan's birthday, he says he will celebrate the birthday of his wife, Kelly, on Saturday. As for his birthday he said he'll probably just watch film. When asked what would be a good gift for Ryan, guard Jordan Taylor said "keep on winning." That would be also be a present for a lot of Badgers fans.