MADISON - It's tough to tell which event Wisconsin men's hockey coach Mike Eaves gets more worked up over.
There's his team's near-miss at the NCAA Tournament after a trying 2007-2008 season.
But then came Tuesday's Badger Booster Days banquet at Ludlow Mansion. That's where the voice of the Badgers, Matt Lepay, crowned Eaves as the best joke-teller of the Wisconsin coaches that once again provided gut-busting anecdotes and a glance at the fresh Badger faces to look out for starting this fall.
"Eaves is the one that's surprised me the last couple of years," Lepay said.
"You see how intense Mike is during the season and then you watch him during the summer time ... he's the best joke-teller," Lepay said.
"When you're in junior hockey, you're on the bus a lot," Eaves explained. "You tell a lot of stories, a lot of jokes. So getting up in front of people has kind of become part of my identity."
The event's emcee, Lepay, charmed the crowd without a fully-healthy voice. Coincidentally, he pointed out that you don't have to do a lot of cheerleading to manufacture excitement over UW athletics. The department finished eighth in the Director's Cup voting in 2008.
It's also roped in 20 Big Ten titles since athletic director Barry Alvarez arrived in 1990. Equally significantly, UW posted the second-best collective GPA in school history this past year.
When Lepay handed the microphone to Alvarez on Tuesday, the legendary retired football coach thanked Monroe for being a vital asset in the Badgers' dominance. The two-day fund raiser, conducted by Swiss Colony, raises more than $80,000 every year for Badger athletics.
Lady Badgers hoops coach and Oregon High School alum Lisa Stone set up one of several running jokes throughout the coaches' speeches, as she referenced that both she and men's coach Bo Ryan had five outstanding freshmen incoming. She mentioned the ladies all would live together, as would the men.
Ryan, a Philadelphia native who slays every year at Ludlow, took the baton and ran with it, insisting the 5-on-5 scenarios had better remain on the basketball court.
Stone wrapped up her segment by highlighting that Canisius, where former Monroe standout Ellie Radke plays, will visit UW the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Eaves took the microphone before Ryan, immediately after Lepay stole one of his new favorite comic's cuts.
"How bad is that when Matt is stealing my material?" Eaves jabbed.
A seven-year Badger Days veteran, Eaves talked about seven special freshmen who will hope to pick up where last year's incredible frosh class left off. The Badgers took a losing record into the NCAA Tournament, only to defeat Denver, 6-2, at the Kohl Center in the regionals before falling to North Dakota, 3-2, in the finals.
"It really stung that we didn't advance, and now our guys have that taste of being that close and that will motivate them," Eaves said.
With hockey players being one-and-done with college more often than NBA players these days, Eaves spoke about the importance recruiting in comparison to teaching X's and O's on the dry-erase board. He also pointed out that what's between a recruit's ears is as important as the velocity of his slapshot.
"In our plan for success, we have both ability and habits," Eaves said. "You gotta have God-given abilities, but you've gotta have people with good work habits and integrity. That's the beginning of a good foundation."
Unlike Ryan, who stole from Tubby Smith's Minnesota cupboard to snag three of his key recruits, Eaves got three of his studs from Wisconsin. Most notably, Beaver Dam grad and center Matt Thurber likely will be selected in the upcoming NHL draft.
The hockey team reset its own attendance record at Kohl Center last season, a feat to which Ryan is no stranger.
His club vastly outperformed national expectations last season, making the Sweet 16. With his team's corps returning this time around, he'll hope to find a way to get experience to his incoming five freshmen. Jordan Taylor is another swivel-hipped guard with an extra gear that evokes memories of current junior Trevon Hughes.
Ryan got after his former pupil at UW-Platteville, Pat Murphy. He coyly stated that "Murf the Surf" needed to take his club further next season. Then he glowed with pride as he insisted Monroe basketball "is in great hands."
About an hour after Monroe Country Club director Mike Muranyi poked fun at his wife, Shelly, over her having been a "10" when he met her, referring to the golf handicap of the women's champion, Badger football head coach Bret Bielema brought the joke back.
The hulking bachelor and winningest UW football coach in history by percentage said that he's still looking for his "10." Having been born on a farm, he once again connected to the riveted crowd. He gushed over the 118 players that already were in camp. Then he talked about a daunting schedule.
The same on- and off-color ribbing the athletic department staff brings rings true every year. Lepay says he's always astonished to see the furrow-browed tacticians turn to affable, colorful speakers every time they saunter down to Green County.
"This is just a great chance for the coaches to say thanks," Lepay said, "and it's interesting to see the switches that these coaches flick."
"Me? I just go ahead, introduce 'em and kind of turn 'em loose."
There's his team's near-miss at the NCAA Tournament after a trying 2007-2008 season.
But then came Tuesday's Badger Booster Days banquet at Ludlow Mansion. That's where the voice of the Badgers, Matt Lepay, crowned Eaves as the best joke-teller of the Wisconsin coaches that once again provided gut-busting anecdotes and a glance at the fresh Badger faces to look out for starting this fall.
"Eaves is the one that's surprised me the last couple of years," Lepay said.
"You see how intense Mike is during the season and then you watch him during the summer time ... he's the best joke-teller," Lepay said.
"When you're in junior hockey, you're on the bus a lot," Eaves explained. "You tell a lot of stories, a lot of jokes. So getting up in front of people has kind of become part of my identity."
The event's emcee, Lepay, charmed the crowd without a fully-healthy voice. Coincidentally, he pointed out that you don't have to do a lot of cheerleading to manufacture excitement over UW athletics. The department finished eighth in the Director's Cup voting in 2008.
It's also roped in 20 Big Ten titles since athletic director Barry Alvarez arrived in 1990. Equally significantly, UW posted the second-best collective GPA in school history this past year.
When Lepay handed the microphone to Alvarez on Tuesday, the legendary retired football coach thanked Monroe for being a vital asset in the Badgers' dominance. The two-day fund raiser, conducted by Swiss Colony, raises more than $80,000 every year for Badger athletics.
Lady Badgers hoops coach and Oregon High School alum Lisa Stone set up one of several running jokes throughout the coaches' speeches, as she referenced that both she and men's coach Bo Ryan had five outstanding freshmen incoming. She mentioned the ladies all would live together, as would the men.
Ryan, a Philadelphia native who slays every year at Ludlow, took the baton and ran with it, insisting the 5-on-5 scenarios had better remain on the basketball court.
Stone wrapped up her segment by highlighting that Canisius, where former Monroe standout Ellie Radke plays, will visit UW the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
Eaves took the microphone before Ryan, immediately after Lepay stole one of his new favorite comic's cuts.
"How bad is that when Matt is stealing my material?" Eaves jabbed.
A seven-year Badger Days veteran, Eaves talked about seven special freshmen who will hope to pick up where last year's incredible frosh class left off. The Badgers took a losing record into the NCAA Tournament, only to defeat Denver, 6-2, at the Kohl Center in the regionals before falling to North Dakota, 3-2, in the finals.
"It really stung that we didn't advance, and now our guys have that taste of being that close and that will motivate them," Eaves said.
With hockey players being one-and-done with college more often than NBA players these days, Eaves spoke about the importance recruiting in comparison to teaching X's and O's on the dry-erase board. He also pointed out that what's between a recruit's ears is as important as the velocity of his slapshot.
"In our plan for success, we have both ability and habits," Eaves said. "You gotta have God-given abilities, but you've gotta have people with good work habits and integrity. That's the beginning of a good foundation."
Unlike Ryan, who stole from Tubby Smith's Minnesota cupboard to snag three of his key recruits, Eaves got three of his studs from Wisconsin. Most notably, Beaver Dam grad and center Matt Thurber likely will be selected in the upcoming NHL draft.
The hockey team reset its own attendance record at Kohl Center last season, a feat to which Ryan is no stranger.
His club vastly outperformed national expectations last season, making the Sweet 16. With his team's corps returning this time around, he'll hope to find a way to get experience to his incoming five freshmen. Jordan Taylor is another swivel-hipped guard with an extra gear that evokes memories of current junior Trevon Hughes.
Ryan got after his former pupil at UW-Platteville, Pat Murphy. He coyly stated that "Murf the Surf" needed to take his club further next season. Then he glowed with pride as he insisted Monroe basketball "is in great hands."
About an hour after Monroe Country Club director Mike Muranyi poked fun at his wife, Shelly, over her having been a "10" when he met her, referring to the golf handicap of the women's champion, Badger football head coach Bret Bielema brought the joke back.
The hulking bachelor and winningest UW football coach in history by percentage said that he's still looking for his "10." Having been born on a farm, he once again connected to the riveted crowd. He gushed over the 118 players that already were in camp. Then he talked about a daunting schedule.
The same on- and off-color ribbing the athletic department staff brings rings true every year. Lepay says he's always astonished to see the furrow-browed tacticians turn to affable, colorful speakers every time they saunter down to Green County.
"This is just a great chance for the coaches to say thanks," Lepay said, "and it's interesting to see the switches that these coaches flick."
"Me? I just go ahead, introduce 'em and kind of turn 'em loose."
