Connect with us

Basketball

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball: Greg Gard Isn’t on the Hot Seat

Published

on

Greg Gard and Wisconsin Men's Basketball
Jan 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard yells to his players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program are in the middle of a pretty substantial rut, losing six of their last seven games and falling to 11th in the Big Ten standings. 

Because of this, the anti-Gard crowd has been out in full force, calling for his job following each and every loss, and maybe I’m the only one, but it’s starting to get old.

It’s OK to be concerned about UW’s recruiting efforts and talent level without firing a head coach who’s won two of the last three Big Ten regular season championships.

Let’s explore a few narratives surrounding Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program and use context to explain why a change at this juncture is laughably premature.

The Paul Chryst & Greg Gard Comparison 

If I could have just one wish, it would be that Wisconsin men’s basketball fans stop comparing Greg Gard and Paul Chryst’s situations like they’re identical. 

Right now, they’re not even remotely similar; the comparison is lazy and baseless. Could they become identical down the road? Sure. But we’re far from them being the same as I write this today. 

*I want to make one thing clear, none of this is to pile on Chryst – he was a good coach at UW and an even better man – PC is simply used as a frame of reference.

Accolades + Program Trend

First, Chryst never won a Big Ten Championship at UW. Although he won the West several times, that’s not the same as winning the B1G regular season title in basketball – it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Second, the football program had, by my count, three consecutive seasons trending in the wrong direction after reaching its pinnacle. No matter how you try to spin it, that’s not the reality under Greg Gard.

Sure, the Wisconsin men’s basketball program is struggling this season. Nobody is disputing that. The offense is a problem, and the overall depth of this program doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence at the moment. But even if UW can’t right the ship this season, that would be ONE year of sub-par production – which is hardly grounds for dismissal. 

Gardo has led the Badgers to a Big Ten championship in two of the last three seasons in a loaded conference – that’s no small feat. Remember, Gard sent Johnny Davis, a three-star prospect previously ranked outside the top 150, to the NBA two years early, which drastically altered the program’s development schedule.

The comparison could gain some traction if UW continues a downhill trend into next season.

Willingness to Adapt

Lastly, Paul Chryst didn’t appear to adapt his offensive system to his personnel. While Greg Gard has traditionally played a style many people dislike, you can’t ignore the adjustments he made last season because it doesn’t fit your narrative. UW played at its fastest pace in 20 years — because he had a star (Johnny Davis) and adjusted accordingly.

According to KenPom, Wisconsin men’s basketball finished at No. 215 in adjusted tempo in 2021-22, which is hardly the mark of a run-and-gun team, but it’s a stark contrast from what we’re used to.

Before last season, UW had never finished higher than 320th in adjusted tempo since the metric started being recorded by KenPom.

At the end of PC’s coaching tenure — UW labored to compete with other teams in the Big Ten West. Three weeks ago, before Tyler Wahl and Max Klesmit got hurt, UW was No. 14 in the country and undefeated in conference play. It hasn’t been a shit show all season long. 

Again, could Greg Gard’s situation mirror Paul Chryst’s down the road? Absolutely. But to suggest it’s happening now is simply incorrect. 

Show patience — let things play out — and remember, the grass isn’t always greener. 

Greg Gard’s System 

One of the biggest criticisms of Greg Gard is the system he runs. His teams aren’t exactly the Showtime Lakers on the basketball court. 

If you don’t enjoy the system he runs — that’s ok — but let’s at least not pretend it hasn’t worked during his tenure. 

In the previous seven seasons, Wisconsin men’s basketball has had a KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency rating of No. 56, placing the Badgers offense in the 85th percentile during his tenure. Additionally, the defense has registered an adj. efficiency rating of No. 22 – placing UW in the 94th percentile. 

His system might not be the most fun to watch or attract high-level recruits, but it consistently gets the job done in one of the toughest conferences in the country. 

If you think Greg Gard needs to change his system to elevate the program’s ceiling — that’s a discussion worth having. Albeit a small sample size, Gardo has adapted his system on several occasions when the personnel warrants it (Ethan Happ, Johnny Davis) – so I have no reason to believe he couldn’t do it again.

The issues facing Wisconsin men’s basketball right now have less to do with the system in place and more to do with the lack of talent, which falls squarely on the shoulders of Greg Gard.

Greg Gard’s Recruiting 

Recruiting is a hot-button topic relative to the lens from which you’re evaluating it. 

Greg Gard has done an excellent job identifying and recruiting players that fit his playing style perfectly and developing them into meaningful contributors. It’s why the Wisconsin men’s basketball program has been consistently successful. The whole point of recruiting is finding players who will win you games, and Gard has done that – with a pretty high level of success, I might add. 

But there’s also the flip side to that narrative. On many occasions, Gard identified talented players well before other Power 5 programs and failed to close the deal before blue-bloods swooped in and took their guy. 

We could also blame Gard for not casting a broad enough recruiting net, his system not accentuating the strengths of top-tier athletes, or passing on too many players – holding out for the home run. Only to be left scrambling for plan B options. All of those things are reasonable. 

Could a change in the offensive system make UW a more attractive option? Absolutely. Beyond that, Wisconsin men’s basketball might need to consider alternative options to enhance efforts on the recruiting trail.

Coach Gard has to close recruiting battles before July and land better athletes capable of raising the ceiling. Even though I don’t have an issue with his recruiting – there is plenty of room for growth.

If Wisconsin men’s basketball can improve even marginally on the recruiting trail, the Badgers could find another gear on the court.

Final Thoughts:

Chris McIntosh is the athletic director of a top-tier university, so all coaching situations are under constant evaluation. But let’s be real here, Greg Gard’s seat isn’t/shouldn’t be hot.

Greg Gard is a really good basketball coach, and I’ll never understand why anyone in the fan base wouldn’t root for him to succeed. We all want the same thing — for Wisconsin basketball to win games.

This past offseason, McIntosh extended Gard’s contract through 2027, which increased his base salary, provided additional compensation bonuses, and upped his termination buyout.

If UW shows no signs of growth under Gard, misses the tournament, and continues a freefall that snowballs into next season, then it’s worth entertaining a change. Wisconsin is an attractive landing spot. But firing a head coach one year removed from winning a Big Ten title; that’s incredibly premature for my taste.

Greg Gard has earned the right to fix the cracks in the foundation without having to look over his shoulder.


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball Recruiting Roundup: Frontcourt Transfer Portal Targets

Published

on

Wisconsin Basketball
Oct 12, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, US; Wisconsin Badgers men's head coach Greg Gard speaks to the media during the Big Ten Basketball Media Days at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball program have been active in the early stages of the offseason, reaching out to numerous transfer options, particularly in the frontcourt.

Wisconsin had a severe lack of depth among post options in 2022-23 following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfers).

Unable to land a viable option in the portal last offseason, the Badgers were forced to make do with former walk-on Carter Gilmore as its top forward off the bench and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges to fill in whenever necessary.

Senior forward Tyler Wahl has yet to decide if he’ll exercise his COVID year and return for a fifth season in Madison (I think he will), which could leave the cupboards awfully thin if he chooses to pursue a pro career.

With the roster lacking any proven options behind him, there is a significant need to bring in at least one experienced frontcourt option that can immediately slot into minutes for the Wisconsin basketball program.

Here is an early list of some notable players Wisconsin has contacted this offseason.

Payton Sparks (6-foot-9 forward; Ball State)

National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks, who recently entered the transfer portal. 

Notre Dame, Arkansas, Florida, Butler, Ohio State, and others are involved. 

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field. 

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

John Hugley (6-foot-9 forward; Pittsburgh)

Perhaps the most notable frontcourt target of the Wisconsin basketball program, Pittsburgh transfer forward John Hugley, who Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported the Badgers expressed interest in. 

UW, Michigan, Oregon, Miami, Rutgers, Xavier, Arkansas, LSU, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Maryland, Nebraska, Butler, Georgia, and several others are also involved.

The 6-foot-9, 265-pound forward played eight games this past season before deciding to sit out the remainder of the season to focus on his mental health. 

In 2021-22 however, he led the Panthers in scoring, averaging 14.8 points per game and 7.9 rebounds on 47.1% shooting en route to All-ACC honorable mention honors.

Hugley has up to three years of eligibility remaining.

Dame Adelekun (6-foot-8 forward; Dartmouth)

The first frontcourt player Wisconsin basketball reached out to was Dartmouth forward Dame Adelekun, according to a report from Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers. 

Arkansas, Ohio State, Wichita State, Boise State, Clemson, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, Loyola Chicago, and several others are also in the mix. 

The 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward averaged 13.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals on 56.3% shooting from the field this past season. 

Adelekun has up to two years of eligibility remaining. 


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.

Continue Reading

Basketball

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Connected to Ball State Transfer

Published

on

Wisconsin Men's Basketball target Payton Sparks.
Ball State men's basketball sophomore center Payton Sparks smirks after turning over the ball during a game against Indiana University South Bend at Worthen Arena Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022. Ball State won 86-72

Madison, Wis. — Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball coaching staff have recently checked in on a MAC big man that entered the transfer portal. 

Earlier this week, National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Dushawn London from 247Sports, reported that Wisconsin was one of the teams that inquired about Ball State center Payton Sparks.

“It has always been a dream of mine to play at the highest level of college basketball,” Sparks said in the Twitter post. “With that being said, I feel like it’s in my best interest to chase my dream and enter the transfer portal. There will always be a place in my heart that is Ball State!”

Along with UW, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Utah, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Dayton, Arkansas, Iowa State, Loyola Chicago, Florida, Butler, LSU, Georgetown, Ohio State, and several other schools expressed interest in Sparks. 

The 6-foot-9, 240-pound center was an All-Mid-American Conference Second Team member this past season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists on 58% shooting from the field. 

Sparks started all 31 games he appeared in for the Cardinals this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Why Payton Sparks Makes Sense for Wisconsin Men’s Basketball 

Dating back to the last offseason, Wisconsin men’s basketball had a clear need in its frontcourt following the departures of Chris Vogt (graduation) and Ben Carlson + Matthew Mors (transfer). 

However, UW never found a good fit in the portal and instead relied on former walk-on Carter Gilmore as his backup “big man” and unproven options like Markus Ilver and Chris Hodges. 

Coach Gard has already made it abundantly clear that he knows what his team needs and intends to fix this glaring hole going into 2023-24. 

I expect the Badgers to be heavy players in the portal as they pursue options to improve their front-court. 


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.

Continue Reading

Basketball

Wisconsin Basketball in Contact with 2023 Recruit, New Transfer Target, More

Published

on

Wisconsin Basketball
Dec 14, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders fly the banners across the court before the game with the Green Bay Phoenix at the Kohl Center. Wisconsin defeated Green Bay 73-59. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been a busy week for the Wisconsin basketball program, ladies and gents, but fear not because BadgerNotes can help get you back up to speed with a roundup of some important news you may have missed.

Wisconsin Badgers Continuing to Keep Tabs on 2023 Forward  

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin men’s basketball program might be open to a late addition in the 2023 recruiting class.

After de-committing from Notre Dame in late January, top 150 prospect Brady Dunlap is back on the market, and Wisconsin is one of the schools that expressed interest in the sharpshooting forward, along with Villanova, Seton Hall, Oregon, UCLA, TCU, Saint Mary’s, and Butler. 

Arguably the top unsigned prospect in his class, Dunlap is the No. 147 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class and the No. 22 player in California, according to the 247Sports composite.

Although the Badgers would seem to have no available scholarships, already holding commitments from four-star big man Gus Yalden and three-star prospects Nolan Winter and John Blackwell, a source indicated that Wisconsin has been enamored with Dunlap for quite some time and felt the need to kick the tires. 

With plenty of roster changes expected to occur once the season concludes, it’ll be interesting to see if UW tries to make a real run at a talented late addition to its class. 

Wisconsin Men’s Basketball Showing Interest in AAC Transfer Guard 

Speaking of players that Greg Gard and the Wisconsin basketball coaching staff have been in contact with, add a high-scoring combo guard from the AAC into the mix. 

Last week, Joe Tipton of On3Sports reported that Wisconsin was among the teams that expressed interest in Temlple transfer guard Khalif Battle. 

Along with UW, there is plenty of suitors for Battle because Villanova, Arkansas, Arizona, Ohio State, Memphis, Florida, USC, UCLA, and several other schools have also reached out. 

The 6-foot-5, 175-pound guard appeared in 27 games, starting eight, and led the Owls in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.0 steals on 41% shooting from the field. 

The former four-star recruit has up to two years of eligibility remaining.

Other Wisconsin Basketball News

Well, it finally happened; St. Thomas leading-scorer, freshman guard Andrew Rohde has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. 

The Milwaukee native averaged 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season en route to becoming the Summit League Freshman of the Year. 

There were rumblings throughout the season that Greg Gard and company would make Rohde a high priority if he became available — and now that he is, Wisconsin will undoubtedly make a serious play for his services.

Rohde would fill an immediate long/short-term need within the Wisconsin basketball program as a wing with the ideal size to play the “3” that can score the rock and has three years of eligibility remaining.


Contact/Follow us @Badger_Notes on Twitter, Subscribe to the BadgerNotes Newsletter here, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Join the Badger Notes watch party and stream Wisconsin Badgers games by following this link.

*Subscribe to Locked on Badgers on Youtube and wherever you find podcasts, the only daily Wisconsin Badgers podcast on the internet.

Continue Reading

Trending