The Red Cross has mobilized in Myanmar following a cyclone that is estimated to have claimed over 20,000 lives. More info

UW men's basketball: Badgers get used to Ford Field stage

Tamira Madsen  —  3/28/2008 7:24 am

DETROIT -- A strip of paper with the name "Krabby Favre" etched by a Sharpie pen was attached to a nameplate above a locker Thursday afternoon in the spacious visitor's locker room at Ford Field.

Joe Krabbenhoft, a longtime Minnesota Vikings fan whose father was a ball boy for the team, got riled over the joke orchestrated by University of Wisconsin basketball assistant coach Greg Gard. The junior forward took the paper off the top of the locker and ripped the Favre name off.

"They were just having a good time when I walked in," Krabbenhoft said. "They said, 'Joe, this is where Brett Favre sat last time he played here. This is where you should be sitting because this is where the winners sit.' And I was like, 'Oh, man.' Brett Favre is a winner so maybe if I can get a little bit of that love it would be great."

Settling into their new surroundings was entertaining for the third-seeded Badgers (31-4), who meet Davidson (28-6) tonight in an NCAA tournament Sweet 16 game at Ford Field. But it was business as usual less than 30 minutes later when UW took the court for the first time to practice at the home of the NFL's Detroit Lions.

Media availability with the Badgers took place before practice Thursday, so reporters did not get the chance to gauge UW players' initial impressions of the court. But others, including Davidson standout Stephen Curry, said the floor and atmosphere were unique.

"I've never played on a court where the benches are below the court level," said Curry, a sophomore shooting guard who has averaged 35 points per game in two NCAA tournament wins. "Just the amount of seats that there are out there, it's gonna be crazy with the amount of people that can fit in here.

"Depth perception with the rims, on the field, it's kind of hard to adjust to."

A handful of players from Villanova and Kansas, the teams playing after the matchup between the Badgers and Wildcats, raised concerns about diving for loose balls off the raised court.

While the floor was different, Villanova sophomore guard Scottie Reynolds said he enjoyed the feel of the it during practice.

"You're up about 3 or 4 feet," Reynolds said. "It's kind of like a lower level of fans, then kind of raises up, so the backdrop is a little bit different.

"But once you get used to it, you think you can shoot from half court and stroke it. We did a pretty good job shooting the ball out there. Hopefully that's gonna continue tomorrow."

In anticipation of hosting the 2009 NCAA Final Four next April, NCAA officials and executives from the architecture firm HKS Sports & Entertainment Group spared no expense in making sure the basketball atmosphere is top-notch for players and fans alike.

They've constructed a sparkling-new, 7,200-square foot maple court that is raised and centered on the 50-yard line of Ford Field. Other amenities include a four-sided video scoreboard that hangs from the ceiling and two gargantuan video screens that will detail the action. In addition, temporary seating areas were erected on all four sides and are supposed to give spectators improved sightlines compared with past domed-seating setups.

The record attendance for a college basketball game occurred at Ford Field in 2003 when Michigan State played Kentucky before 78,129 spectators. Regional officials said approximately 57,000 tickets have been sold so far. But because the temporary seating has a smaller capacity, if there is a sellout this weekend, the New York Times reported the top crowd would draw 72,818.

Although it's a smaller setup, HKS, a firm headquartered in Dallas, also constructed the court and seating at Houston's Reliant Stadium, another Sweet 16 site that will host the 2011 Final Four.

UW sophomore Jason Bohannon would like to see a sea of red with Badgers fans filling the seats, but said he doesn't expect a tough transition with the court and its sight lines.

"It will be a little different, but it's not really any different from shooting outside in your backyard," Bohannon said. "It's still open space and you have to adjust to it a little bit compared to other arenas that are a little smaller and compact. It's just like shooting outside and we're going to adjust to it and think like that."

Much like his coaches and teammates, junior forward Marcus Landry is taking the simple approach to competing at Field Ford: The court is the same, but the atmosphere will be special considering the large crowd.

"The hoop is still 10 feet and the court is still the same length, so we've just got to be ready to play," Landry said.

Tamira Madsen  —  3/28/2008 7:24 am