Gard's team is a conundrum

[TW]

I was thinking about the Badgers team as a whole. There seems to be a lot of talent there. Or is there? Is it Gard, getting the best from marginal players,, by putting them in position to succeed far beyond their base abilities? We can look at this team both ways this year.

First of all, they're battling for the Big 10 regular season title? Really? Most of us figured if they finished in about 6th place, it was a success. They fooled us. They're winning games against pretty darned good teams. This begs the question. Is the Big 10 that good, that they keep knocking each other off, or are they just a balanced conference with marginal talent?

Looking at the early season Badgers, you'd have to say we were on our way to easily losing 20 games. Slowly, the whole thing turned around, during the Big 10 conference season. The started to find ways to win. Losing a good player actually may have helped the team, and gaining a good player like Potter also helped. It's like Potter just absorbed the minutes we were seeing from King, so nobody on the team was jilted for minutes.

Looking at where the Badgers stand in NCAA rankings in every category tells you they shouldn't be where they are, but yet, here they are, battling it out for the conference championship.

Looking for an MVP? I can give you a lot of names. Each of them has played their part, and many have led them at specific times. I don't think I've ever seen a team that had so many guys who have stepped up and made the team their own, on a given night.

The one factor that surrounds all of this is Greg Gard. Is this guy a basketball genius, or someone who is winning because of luck, created by his players, without him really causing it.

I look at those 20 wins and shake my head. Not many people believed they'd reach that mark, or be where they are, with the last week of conference play about to start.

Been a great ride, no matter when it ends.

 

[FlaPack]

Greg Gard is a damn good basketball coach and always has been. He has a 61.1% win percentage in conference, that’s 7th among B1G coaches with at least 50 wins over the last 40 years. Now 3 20 win seasons in 4 years, not to mention getting the team to the NCAA when Bo left, they were 9-9 under Ryan at the time. The non tournament year he has his top 3 out for the year with injuries all year and played 2 walk ons and was respectable

In the tournament he’s beat a #1 Seed (Villanova) and a #2 seed (Xavier). Bottom line he’s a fantastic coach who is playing only 8 scholarship players this year , loss of Howard Moore, Potter fiasco and King transfer. Just amazing job

As to the conference, it’s that good. And I don’t think the talent is marginal. Each guy has a role and plays that role within the concept of the offense and defense. King was addition by subtraction. Limited on defense and just did not buy into the swing offense which he should have flourished in.

This team is a reflection of its coach. Players love playing for the guy. They bought in.

 

[57packer]

I think the conference is really good, but does not have a dominant team. I don't think there is a conference coming close from top to bottom. Hopefully that will prove out in the tourney with at least a few teams making the sweet-16.

I don't think there was ever any doubt, at least among most fans, about Gard's coaching ability. The question was whether he would be able to recruit at a high enough level. For the moment those fears are gone, and if his next 2 recruiting classes hold together that shouldn't be a concern anymore either.

It's been a great ride. Hopefully I'll see them play for another 3 weekends.

 

[realitybytes]

 

[FlaPack]

To 57’s post not sure there is a dominant team in the nation. Probably Kansas and Dook are close but they have flaws also. Which makes this all the sweeter. Wins vs Maryland and Sparty were outstanding, wish we had Illinois back. Enjoy ride , let’s see how we matchup in the dance