How Greg Gard 2.0 has ushered in a new era for Wisconsin basketball

Greg Gard has evolved Wisconsin basketball for the modern game. With a revamped offense, coaching staff, & veteran leadership, the Badgers are well positioned to succeed in this new era.

Photo credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

When Wisconsin men’s basketball opened the 2024-25 season, there were plenty of external questions about whether or not Greg Gard could evolve the program to match the demands of the modern game.

The media picked Wisconsin to finish 12th in the Big Ten—a fair spot given the considerable roster turnover and uncertainty surrounding how the new pieces would gel. But as the season has progressed, the Badgers have flipped that narrative on its head. And the results speak for themselves.

The Badgers are off to a 19-5 start and sit at 9-5 in Big Ten play, exceeding preseason expectations and proving that Gard’s vision for the program is working. There is undoubtedly proof of concept.

Wisconsin is averaging 81 points per game—the highest mark in 54 years. The Badgers have topped 80+ points in 13 of 24 games, their most since 1970-71. Their perimeter shooting has been a game-changer, setting a new school record with 14 games (and counting) of double-digit threes. They also lead the nation in free-throw shooting at an 84.1% clip.

This offseason, Gard took intentional steps to reshape the program. From carving out a full-time role for Kirk Penney, who revamped the offense with European ball screen-inspired concepts, to integrating NBA-level player development under Greg Stiemsma or even promoting Marc VandeWettering to the team's general manager spot, Gard has leaned into innovation while maintaining the values that define Wisconsin.

"Kirk coming in helped build the bridge to where I felt we needed to go," Gard said.

"I felt we needed some evolution and change was needed. I knew ball screens and the spacing were part of it. And then, quite frankly, I was a little more resistant to analytics. But I think we've all taken a deeper dive and now we pay serious attention to it… You just hire really good people, and you let them go to work."

The result? A team that doesn’t just play slow, methodical basketball but can now push the tempo when needed, shoot a ton of threes, score efficiently, and adapt to the demands of today’s college game. According to KenPom, the Badgers rank No. 10 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency and No. 183 in tempo—the fastest mark of the Bo Ryan or Gard eras.

"I think having fours that shoot threes and make threes, that's the biggest piece of it," said Gard. "I think the other part, too, is all the guys that returned. We felt retention was really important not only in terms of the culture of your locker room, but also the next step of this offensive evolution. Having another year in the system, they understand it so much better.

"In large part, the pieces fit better together. We have better pieces for what we're doing in terms of individual players, but the returners have been a big part of our jump forward."

Even with the stylistic changes, Wisconsin’s core principles remain intact. Taking care of the basketball, ensuring quality shot selection, defending at a high level, and getting to the free-throw line are still core tenets of how the Badgers operate. The difference now is that they’re executing those fundamentals within a more modern, free-flowing offense.

Perhaps most impressive has been the maturity and poise the Badgers have displayed. With veterans like John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl, and even bench pieces like Kamari McGee and Carter Gilmore helping lead the way, Wisconsin has handled adversity much better and maintained a level of consistency that has eluded them in previous seasons.

At the same time, second-year players John Blackwell, Nolan Winter, and Jack Janicki have emerged as key contributors, complementing the veteran core and playing an instrumental role in Wisconsin's success.

The “get old, stay old” mantra continues to pay dividends as this roster exhibits the type of composure that can make some noise in March.

For years, critics questioned whether Gard was the right coach to lead Wisconsin forward. But after seeing him navigate everything from Bo Ryan’s sudden midseason departure and leading them to the tournament to an assistant coach actively undermining him and making a play for his job, it’s clear he’s more than capable of steering the program.

"I'm much more relaxed than I was. I was probably wound extremely tight early," Gard admitted. "I've hopefully gotten better at communicating and I think that comes with experience of just understanding I can't impact and control everything."

The Cobb (Wis.) native has weathered the transition to the portal era, adapted to the evolving landscape of college basketball over his tenure in Madison, and guided Wisconsin through the challenges of constructing a roster in the NIL and transfer portal era—all while staying true to his principles on and off the court.

"This job has changed so much with all the other moving parts. You're more of a CEO than you are a coach now," Gard said. "There's so much more that goes into it now that wasn't a part of it 10 years ago."

He hasn’t always gotten it right on the first try—who does? But time and again, Gard has found no-nonsense solutions and executed them at a high level. His track record speaks for itself: two Big Ten Coach of the Year awards, two Big Ten regular-season titles, and a program that continues to compete at a high level despite dynamics outside his control.

"I've chilled out a bit... I think schematically, I've asked questions and listened... we've studied other programs, taking some things that we feel are really good, avoiding some things we think don't fit," Gard said.

This season has been one of his finest coaching jobs yet.

He reassessed Wisconsin’s approach in the transfer portal era, accounted for the constraints of both the program and the university, and built an organizational structure designed to maximize on-court success. Gard brought in the right pieces—both on his staff and through the portal—and has this team executing at a much higher level than expected once again.

That said, there is an elephant in the room that has fueled Gard’s critics: Wisconsin hasn’t made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2017. That concern is valid and must be acknowledged. For Gard to silence the vocal minority for good, he needs to prove Wisconsin is capable of making deep postseason runs again.

The argument for keeping Gard as Wisconsin’s head coach for the long haul boils down to a few key points. While Gard hasn’t replicated Bo Ryan’s postseason success, the Badgers own the third-best record in the Big Ten since he took over the program, trailing only Purdue and Michigan State. He also ranks eighth in conference wins over the past 45 years.

Beyond the X's and O's, Gard provides much-needed stability in an increasingly chaotic era of college athletics, where the transfer portal and NIL have made roster management an ongoing battle. He’s also upheld the integrity of a basketball program that has long prided itself on doing things the right way—something that shouldn’t be overlooked.

But the most critical trait he's shown is a willingness to adapt and learn—something many coaches with his tenure are not always as open to doing. Gard has proven he's not stuck in his ways.

The strides Wisconsin has made in recruiting—expanding their efforts internationally—along with noticeable improvements in player development and a more modern offense, should quiet some of those external doubts.

"I think there's no doubt it's [the offense] has gotten attention not only in our recruiting footprint, of the Midwest but internationally... this has a lot of European flavor to it in terms of what we're doing with the ball screen stuff," said Gard.

"They [recruits] recognize it and a lot of those kids play in that system and are trained in the system."

Greg Gard 2.0 isn’t just about keeping Wisconsin's status quo and maintaining a high floor—it’s about building a program that can win big in an era where the playing field isn’t exactly even, all while pushing for more.

Wisconsin has entered a new era, one that embraces change without sacrificing its identity. If the early returns are any indication, Gard has positioned this program to compete at the highest level—not just this season but for years to come. With Gard's ability to adapt while staying true to their core principles, he’s proven he’s the right man to lead the Badgers.

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