March 7, 2009

Cain prepares for senior day

MADISON, Wis. - For Wisconsin senior Morris Cain, the impact made on the basketball court is not necessarily seen from the eyes of the casual fan. Cain, who has played in only seven games this season, has been instrumental through his play on the scout team.

Following Friday's practice, BadgerBlitz.com caught up with Cain, who will be recognized at senior day along with fellow seniors Marcus Landry, Joe Krabbenhoft and Kevin Gullikson.

The following is the transcript from Cain's interview:

It's senior day on Sunday and your career is starting to wind down, what are the emotions running through you right now?

Cain: I really haven't put it into perspective to be honest with you. I haven't put too much thought into it because I don't want to think about it. It was a great experience and it went really fast. It's our last game of the year in front of the fans, but that also means we have a lot to get accomplished yet this year. Senior day is a big day, but it's not the end of our season so we're happy that we have the opportunity to come out in front of our fans one more time and get a game back.

How are you approaching the game? Are you hoping for playing time at all?

Cain: I'm approaching it just like any other game. I'm not going to put any special emphasis. We're trying to get things done, we're not really worried about individual activities or playing time or anything. We just want to go out, get things done on the court and take care of business.

Historically, you've been a great scout player. But, you haven't seen a whole lot of time on the floor during the games. How do the guys approach you, obviously they must appreciate the hard work you've put in throughout your career.

Cain: Well one of the great things about this program is regardless of playing time, guys treat you the same. They don't look down on you, they don't treat you any differently or they don't go about things any differently than the guys that start. That's one of the great things about this program that you don't hear about so much, but that's one thing that we've accomplished very well.

One of the fun things about senior day is that you get recognized in front of the crowd on the video board.

Cain: Yeah, that's a great feeling. They get to see the embarrassing baby pictures and you get to hear about the people that you don't see everyday on the court. I think it's a great thing that we get to acknowledge the people that helped us get here.

Do you have a pretty good baby picture that you're ready to have up there?

Cain: To say the least, yeah. I have a couple baby pictures.

Are you worried about the baby pictures?

Cain: Um, um, um, no, my baby pictures were actually pretty cute. I always get jokes like, 'you were cute when you were a baby, what happened?' So yeah, it's just great to be a part of this. I've seen all the seniors go through and it's an emotional day. We're still looking to take care of business and get things accomplished.

Do you feel any pressure heading into this game, knowing that you are a bubble team that needs the win?

Cain: We need to win every game and that started from day one. That still goes now. Every game we're trying to win and get things done. We don't put emphasis on any particular games except the next one. The next one is our biggest game of our season and that's the way we've approached every game. So I think we're more or less approaching it the same way as we have in the past.

How much do you love this program? It sounds like you have a deep affection for your time here and what you've done to this point. Could you just talk about that?

Cain: I don't really think love is the word for it. We wake up six in the morning to come here and we go to class, come back, might have another workout before practice, and leave here at seven. We're here all the time. It's like the job you've always wanted. I don't really know how to exactly go about it, I mean I love everything about it. I wouldn't take one thing back. If I could do it all over again, that's not even a question, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I just wish time didn't go so fast to be honest.

Do you have any plans for next year and what you'll be doing? Anything basketball related?

Cain: I'm not really sure as to where exactly I'm going. I either just going to work. I'm either working at doing something with my dad out or working with an accounting firm. I'm not exactly sure where I'm going with that, but within the next week or so I plan on figuring that out.

What's going to be the hardest thing about leaving this program?

Cain: Just the work ethic like waking up early, starting your day early and not laying in bed all day, you know exercising and trying to push yourself to get better everyday. A lot of people have the fear that they're not going to be able to push themselves anymore and it's like the coaches are trying to get you to do this and do that. When they yell at you, they're trying to get you to do something better. They're not yelling at you because they don't like you or anything. Just the fact that everybody pushes you and it develops a good work ethic is part of the reason that I love doing this everyday.

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