Wisconsin men's basketball tournament exit leaves program with questions

The Wisconsin Badgers turned the ball over 19 times in the Round of 64, squandering a once-promising season.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program laid an egg against James Madison in the opening Round of the NCAA Tournament. Now, they'll watch the rest of the Big Dance unfold from the comfort of their respective couches.

The 12-seeded Dukes wasted no time asserting themselves and "out Wisconsin'd" Wisconsin. Frankly, the Badgers didn't have an answer for their physicality and crumbled under pressure, resulting in a season-high 19 turnovers, a 72-61 loss, and a plane ride home.

"We fought turnovers and shot selection all year," Gard told reporters after the loss, "and those sins came back to get us again."

What we witnessed was just downright ugly. It was completely unacceptable and left many, myself included, in utter disbelief. How could a Wisconsin basketball team that damn near won the Big Ten Tournament title last weekend perform so poorly just five days later?

I usually reserve judgment on a season until it's over. You're never as good as your best performance and never as terrible as your worst. I don't want to be a prisoner of the moment. However, when a season concludes with an underwhelming outcome similar to what we witnessed against James Madison, one can't help but wonder what was going through the head of Athletic Director Chris McIntosh.

At this point, it’s fair to question whether Coach Gard is the right coach to take Wisconsin's program where it wants to go. I’m not there yet, but for the fans who have been on the "Fire Gard" train for a while, I can understand their perspective—because there are legitimate questions that need to be answered this offseason.

Wisconsin’s March struggles continue 

The argument for the Wisconsin men’s basketball program retaining Greg Gard boils down to a few key points.

Although the pride of small-town Cobb, Wisconsin, hasn't reached the same heights as Bo Ryan, the Badgers still boast the 3rd-best record in the Big Ten conference under Gard's leadership, trailing only Purdue and Michigan State.

Those are also the only programs in the Big Ten that have made the NCAA Tournament more times than the Badgers during the Gard era, which makes sense when you consider that his winning percentage in league play (59.8%) ranks eighth best in the last 40 years.

Further, Gard has clinched a pair of Big Ten regular-season titles with the Wisconsin basketball team. Moreover, Gard offers stability in a tumultuous era of college sports and runs a clean program known for its integrity, a factor that, in my opinion, shouldn't be overlooked.

However, it's worth noting that Gard hasn't guided the team to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in seven years. Since their last Sweet 16 run in 2017, Wisconsin has only picked up two wins in March Madness under his tenure. Simply put, that's not good enough.

Even in a one-and-done, matchup-driven tournament where chaos is the norm, going this long without a second-weekend appearance is tough to ignore. At some point, if the March results don’t follow, Wisconsin may have to take a hard look at the direction of the program. For those ready to pull the plug, though—I would say this: sustained success isn’t something good leadership takes for granted.

Final thoughts on Greg Gard and the Badgers 

Wisconsin showed improvement under Greg Gard this season compared to the previous campaign, rebounding from its absence in the NCAA Tournament.

The Badgers won more games in conference play, improved their overall record, and put together a solid run in the Big Ten Tournament.

It’s not a major leap forward, but it’s still a step in the right direction.

Looking ahead, the Badgers have the potential to maintain continuity with an experienced roster next season and bolster that nucleus through the transfer portal to offset Tyler Wahl's departure.

AJ Storr might explore NBA opportunities or chase an NIL bag; nobody knows for sure. However, the remainder of the rotation could remain intact, which makes overhauling the team and starting anew at this juncture feel foolish.

Keep in mind, it wasn't too long ago that McIntosh extended Gard's contract.

If the University of Wisconsin were to let him go after this season or the next one, they'd owe Gard a hefty sum of $12 million in liquidated damages.

That said, there's another aspect to consider: Gard has now finished his ninth season, and none of those teams are ones I'd qualify as true title contenders. It's possible we've seen the Badgers ceiling under Gard, and maybe that perceived ceiling isn't enough for McIntosh.

In my opinion, Gard has until the end of next season to prove that he's the right man for the Wisconsin basketball head coaching job. The Badgers now have a reputation for faltering in the NCAA tournament's first weekend, and it's starting to get old. But it's important to remember that just because someone hasn't done something doesn't mean they can't. After a tough loss, I still have faith.

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