(Sports) Editor's Note

Brian Randle

Posted by: Jim Rossow

Friday, February 29, 2008 7:22 PM

The senior won't play at Iowa on Saturday because of an injured shoulder. He talked about that and more with our Paul Klee on Friday for this weekend's Big Ten page Q&A. Some of their conversation:

PK: How would you describe playing for Bruce Weber?
BR: Rewarding. He really approaches this team as a family and acts as a father figure. He really tries to teach lessons. He has a wealth of knowledge in any situation. The discussions that he and I have had – from me being injured to school to his family to my family – I've taken a wide array of experience. He's done a lot to help me grow as a man and grow as a player. I think I just have a better understanding of what life's about.

PK: You played with him. How did Deron Williams become the player he is?
BR: Obviously he's blessed with raw talents. But he can break down a film once and know a guy's tendencies and know all of the plays just from one film session. That and being the competitor he is, for someone who is that intelligent, just adds up. He's someone who knows how to make the people around him better than they are. He's the total package.

PK: Are you going to play again this season?
BR: I'm looking forward to it. We've made quite a bit of progress in terms of rehab, strength. The Big Ten tournament would be great. I don't know if Senior Night is in the picture yet. That might be too soon. We're planning on the Big Ten tournament. Hopefully every day we'll see steady progress.

PK: How do you explain all the injuries?
BR: I had injuries in high school. But everybody twists their ankle. No surgeries in high school, especially not four of them. The last couple weeks, sitting out and trying to rehab and praying to get back, I've been through it enough that it's in the script. It's in the plan. You can't change it. You just do your best to weather the storm, so to speak, and gain some strength from it.

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