Tag: Greg Gard

Wisconsin lands commitment from 2023 combo-guard John Blackwell

Wisconsin lands commitment from 2023 guard John Blackwell. #Badgers

Earlier today, Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers secured a verbal commitment from three-star combo guard John Blackwell out of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. 

Coach Gard and his staff were quick to identify the talented combo-guard when they offered Blackwell a scholarship last September, making UW the first and only power-five offer for the Michigan native.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound combo-guard held offers from Wisconsin, Cleveland State, Oakland, Rhode Island, VCU, Toledo, Northern Illinois, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan.

Per 247 sports, Blackwell is the No. 26 ranked combo-guard in the country and the No. 4 player in the state of Michigan.

During his junior season he averaged 13 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 49% from beyond the arc.

This is a plus defender that can knock down shots out on the perimeter, act as a shot creator, push the pace in transition, and finish strong around the rim.

Blackwell’s commitment marks the first addition for Greg Gard and his staff in the 2023 recruiting class.

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Porter Moser not in favor of removing handshake lines following Michigan-Wisconsin dustup

Oklahoma head men’s basketball coach Porter Moser commented on the situation at the end of the Michigan versus Wisconsin game.

Oklahoma head men’s basketball coach Porter Moser was asked his thoughts about the situation after the Michigan at Wisconsin basketball game from Sunday afternoon.

Wisconsin topped Michigan, 77-63, and tempers flared in the postgame handshake line. It stemmed from Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard burning a late-game timeout when the game’s result was no longer in question.

It ended with Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard hitting Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in the face. Howard has now been suspended for the remainder of the season and fined $40,000 by the Big Ten Conference.

Moser was asked if perhaps it’s time to do away with postgame handshake lines all together.

“Yeah, I’m not one of the ones that’s going to knee-jerk reaction and say we can throw away the handshake line. I loved what one of the players tweeted out today. He goes, I never would’ve been able to tell this other player how hard he played and how tough he was if it wasn’t for the handshake line. I’ve been coaching for 30 years and a lot of these coaches have. It’s not easy to go shake somebody’s hand when you just lost a game and you feel gut-wrenched, especially on close games, especially on games that have so much meaning in February. It’s not easy. But, what are you always telling your guys? You’ve got to handle adversity, you’ve got to react when things don’t go your way. I don’t like the message that the way to respond is to avoid it. I don’t think avoiding it is the way to handle the problem. Let’s handle this problem by avoiding it. I just don’t belive in that and that’s my take on it,” Moser said.

Moser expounded upon those thoughts after Tulsa World reporter Guerin Emig said that sometimes players and coaches may make it look easy handling the types of emotions that are present immediately following a game.

“True. It’s not easy, but a lot of things in life aren’t easy. You don’t understand what it’s like unless you’re in that seat as a head coach. Even assistant coaches don’t know what it’s like. I remember Drew Valentine called me after his first loss. Bryan Mullins did. I’ll bet you every assistant that took over somewhere and had their first job, called their mentor and said, ‘Oh my God, I had no idea what you were going through.’ On how you take each loss way more personal than an assistant does. Not to say the assistants don’t take losses hard. It’s just different as the head coach. So, to do that, it’s not easy. Then, you don’t know the backstory. There might be some things in the recruiting process that have gone on that nobody knows about. There might’ve been a recruiting battle that got testy. You don’t know those things. So, it’s you want to win so bad, the games are meaningful, there might’ve been something going on. I’m not saying in that case, I’m just saying in general,” Moser said.

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Michigan head coach Juwan Howard strikes Wisconsin assistant after loss

Unacceptable.

In an embarrassing scene, the end of the Michigan vs. Wisconsin basketball game on Sunday ended in a fight between both teams during the handshake line. And it all started because of the actions of Wolverines’ head coach Juwan Howard.

Howard was apparently not happy about Wisconsin calling a timeout with only 15 seconds left and already up by 16. After the game ended, a 77-63 Badgers win, the Michigan head coach appeared to walk away from the handshake line, but filed in at the end instead of leading it off like he normally does.

When he got to Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard, he pulled his mask down and reportedly told him that he’d “remember that,” referencing the timeout. Then, according to Gard, he put his hand on Howard to start to explain why he took the time out, trying to reset the 10 seconds players he just put into the game had to cross the ball past midcourt. Howard, apparently not happy about Gard touching him and voicing his opinion, then got heated and eventually reached towards one of the Badgers’ assistants, appearing to strike him with his open hand.

A hostile squirmish then broke out with Howard and other players needing to be restrained.

We like to poke fun at Michigan here on this free website, but this is far from acceptable from the head coach tasked with leading and providing an example for young men. No matter what happens in a competitive environment, showing restraint and being a good sport are at the core of every athletic department’s values.

Howard failed to act in a manner expected of him and you can expect disciplinary action to come down swift and hard, especially since it looks like he intended to strike another coach.

And it’s not the first time Howard has been involved in an altercation. Last season, he got in a war of words back and forth with Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon during a Big Ten Tournament game in Indianapolis.

We’ll be on top of this as soon as any further updates become available. This could be very bad for Howard and Michigan as the Big Ten and both universities work through a situation that the adults in the room should have been able to deal with civil humility rather than escalating things.

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Steven Crowl has shown considerable in-season development

Steven Crowl has shown considerable in-season growth during his sophomore campaign.

Wisconsin’s starting center Steven Crowl had some mighty big shoes to fill entering the 2021-22 season.

There were a ton of vacated minutes needing to be filled at the five due to the graduation of seniors Nate Reuvers, and Micah Potter – with very little experience available to fill the void.

Greg Gard needed the sophomore center to make the jump from lightly, if ever used big man, to starting center for the Badgers in just his second year with the program.

The raw talent and upside were never in question with the 7-foot-0 center.

Crowl possesses all the tools you could ask for from a big man in a system like coach Gard’s.

The only reservation was in how he would hold up physically in a post dominant conference like the Big Ten.

Early in the season, it was trial by fire for the former three-star recruit. While adapting to his new starting role he struggled with confidence, and took some lumps along the way.

However, his teammates challenged him to be more aggressive, and as a result the player we’re seeing on the floor now is a vastly improved version of the one we saw back in November.

How it’s going

The Minnesota native is becoming a more consistent scoring threat, having scored at least nine points in eight of the Badgers last ten contests.

As a matter of fact, the Badgers are a perfect 10-0 this season when the sophomore big man reaches double figures in scoring.

Through the team’s first 14 games, Crowl was just 10-for-35 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. Since then he is a much more respectable 9-for-25 (36%) on 3-point attempts.

Additionally, over UW’s last 10 games Crowl is averaging 9.7 points on 57% percent shooting from the floor.

The in-season development we’ve seen from Crowl is both a testament to his hard work, and coach Gard’s ability to develop his players and further accentuate their strengths.

The player we’ve had the pleasure of watching over the course of the last month and half has grown leaps and bounds since the season began.

Crowl has become more assertive down on the low block, and shown the ability to score the ball at a higher rate around the rim because of his improved footwork.

I’ve been pretty vocal about Crowl having an incredibly high ceiling, and he’s finally beginning to scratch the surface of what he’s capable of becoming.

His continued development is important to both the season at hand, and the future of the program. The early returns on the sophomore big man are highly encouraging.

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Johnny Davis has the highest USG% of any guard in the Greg Gard era

Wisconsin has never seen a more heavily relied upon guard on a possession to possession basis than Johnny Davis.

The Wisconsin Badgers have been known as a well balanced program often led by a core of veteran players who have waited their turn to be the proverbial “man”.

This season we’ve seen a bit of a different rendition on an old classic. Instead we’ve seen an underclassmen become the focal point of the Badgers offense, and speed up the pace of a program that has long since preferred to play slow, and under control in order to mitigate mistakes.

Wisconsin’s super sophomore Johnny Davis is changing the way things are done in Madison, and he’s doing it in a way we haven’t seen under this regime.

We’ve seen the Badgers feature big men in this system, but it’s certainly been a rarity to see a guard so heavily involved in the offense from possession to possession.

Matter of fact, the La Crosse (Wisc.) native has had the highest USG% of any Wisconsin player not named Ethan Happ during the Greg Gard era.

For those unfamiliar with USG%, it’s an estimated percentage of the team’s plays in which a player was used while they were on the court.

So, for a guard who isn’t running the show to garner such a high number (33.3%), is almost unheard of at Wisconsin.

 

Here are the players with the highest USG% under coach Gard..

 

2015-16 Nigel Hayes: 26.9 USG%

2016-17: Ethan Happ 26.7 USG%

2017-18: Ethan Happ 34.9 USG%

2018-19: Ethan Happ 33.6 USG%

2019-20: Micah Potter 29.7 USG%

2020-21: Micah Potter 28.4 USG%

2021-22: Johnny Davis 33.3 USG%

 

The sophomore guard has sacrificed some efficiency numbers this season because so often the best shot the Badgers can get, is whichever one Davis is taking.

The poker-faced assassin currently leads the Badgers in scoring with 21.4 points per game (8th in NCAA), rebounds per game (8.3), assists (2.5), steals (1.3), and free throws made (97).

Should he continue at this level of play, Davis would become the first Badgers player to average 20+ points per game since Michael Finley in 1994-95.

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The sum of this years Badgers team is greater than it’s parts

This Wisconsin Badgers are much more than just Johnny Davis. The sum of this team is far greater than it’s individual parts.

The Wisconsin Badgers (17-3, 8-2 Big Ten) are currently tied for first place in a conference they were picked to finish tenth in before the season started.

Yes, a great deal of this team’s success can be attributed to the ascension of sophomore guard Johnny Davis. He’s gone from a dependable rotation member with obvious upside last season, to the most improved player in the country and a potential NBA lottery pick.

However, to say this team is where they are solely because of the poker-faced assassin would be disrespectful to his supporting cast. The Badgers might not contain a ton of household names, but few programs deploy players that understand their roles better than UW. Knowing your identity is half of the battle.

Veterans Brad Davison and Tyler Wahl have elevated their games this season, and are currently playing the best ball of their respective careers.

Davison has become a reliable second scoring option, and provides UW a 3-point weapon to help promote spacing on offense. If you can watch the Minnesota native play and still fail to see all the way’s he impacts a game, I’m not sure we’re watching the same game. Davison’s decision to return for a fifth and final season has turned out to be such a blessing for the program.

Wahl has become a versatile two-way player that’s proved he’s capable of helping shoulder some of the scoring load as well. The Swiss-Army knife is the best defender on a team that prides themselves on their defense. He’s also made a living around the rim as Wisconsin’s best low post presence. This is the third-year jump everyone in the program was hoping for, and he’s become one of the most irreplaceable players on the entire roster.

Additionally, you have two underclassmen that have started every game this season.

True freshman Chucky Hepburn has been terrific manning the lead guard role for the Badgers. He’s shown tremendous poise and maturity at the position despite his inexperience. Hepburn has shown control of the offense, pushed the pace, taken care of the basketball, and been a tenacious on ball defender at times. He does a lot of thankless work that often seems to go unnoticed.

Wisconsin’s starting center Steven Crowl has shown a great deal of in-season development. The player we’ve seen over the last month or so is leaps and bounds ahead of the player we saw back in November. Crowl has been more assertive on the low block while also showing improved footwork. Defensively, he’s done a nice job defending ball screens and battles down low despite giving up a good deal of size to opposing big men.

The starters are all performing at a high level, and are playing heavy minutes as a result. The bench performance has been a bit of uneven at times, but have a bevy of players capable of spelling the starters when necessary. Pending health, I think there are enough players capable of seeing their roles expand to help prevent starter fatigue late in the season.

Greg Gard has done a terrific job coaching this young team. It’s easy to forget that this is the most inexperienced roster of Gard’s tenure, so it would be ignorant to not give him the credit he deserves for his role in molding this young group. I’d be hard pressed to think of a coach more deserving than Gard for Big Ten Coach of the Year if Wisconsin can continue playing at this level.

So, even though Johnny Davis is a contender for National Player of the Year, understand that this team is more than just one player. The sum of the Badgers is greater than it’s individual parts, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

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Johnny Davis listed in the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20

Wisconsin’s star sophomore named to the Wooden Award late season list

In what should come as no surprise to Badger fans, Johnny Davis was named to the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20. The Wisconsin wing has elevated every part of his game during a sensational sophomore leap.

Davis is 8th in the country in scoring at 21.4 points per game, up from 7.0 points per game a year ago. He leads Wisconsin in scoring, rebounding, and assists, and has been the Badgers’ closer for many of their big-time wins early in the season.

Wisconsin took home the Wooden Award in 2015 when Frank Kaminsky earned the top honor in college basketball. Kaminsky is the only Badger to ever win the Wooden Award.

It’s time to be concerned about the Badgers lack of bench production

Is it time to be concerned about the Badgers lack of bench production?

The No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers (15-3, 6-2 Big Ten) are off to an impressive start this season, and are well positioned to contend for a Big Ten title. 

However, they’re not without some pretty glaring holes. Perhaps none bigger than the overall lack of bench production. 

UW has played 18 games this season, and the Badgers bench has contributed 10 or less points in 14 of them. During Wisconsin’s last six Big Ten match-ups, the bench averaged just 6.5 points per game. Additionally, the Badgers bench only touched double figures once during that stretch (Ohio State). 

The Badgers’ usual starting five accounts for almost 85% of the teams scoring this season, and that number has grown even higher in conference play. 

Some of this could possibly be explained by Greg Gard having to constantly patch together a different rotation each night due to injuries and illnesses, which has been less than ideal.

Coach Gard has played six players off his bench consistently this season, five of which have received 9.5 minutes or more.

 

The Reserves

Cincinnati transfer Chris Vogt has been Wisconsin’s most productive member off the bench, averaging 2.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks in 13 minutes per game. But to call Vogt a scoring threat just wouldn’t be accurate because he has a very specific role as a defensive presence and rebounder.

Transfer guard Jahcobi Neath was expected to be a major piece of the bench puzzle entering the season, but has missed eight games and failed to establish a consistent role for UW. This is someone who I think can help provide something they’ve been missing if he’s able to stay on the court.

Freshman point guard Lorne Bowman has shown flashes of a player that can provide a much needed scoring punch off the pine, but has turned the ball over more times (11) than he has assists (9). 

Wisconsin native Carter Gilmore has proven capable of giving coach Gard solid, but unspectacular minutes. He’s been adequate on defense, but offensively has shown little to nothing other than the capability to take care of the basketball (4/1 assist-to-turnover ratio). 

Ben Carlson was expected to be a major contributor this season, but has fallen short of those expectations. He’s missed time because of Covid-19, and still appears to be making up for lost time due to last season’s back injury. 

Jordan Davis has appeared in 16 games this season and has proven he can provide some outside shooting (.450 3PT%), but there are little to no minutes available out on the wing.

 

The Verdict: 

The lack of production for Wisconsin is certainly concerning, and the absence of Tyler Wahl helped illustrate that last night. The overall health and depth of this team may determine just how far this team is able to go. 

The drop-off in production has been noticeable, and the Badgers are going to need more out of their reserves on both ends of the floor to keep the starters fresh.

In Big Ten play only Chris Vogt is averaging double digit minutes per game off the bench, so starter fatigue could certainly come into play as the season wears on. 

The bench needs to continue improving and understanding exactly what their roles are relative to who they’re on the court with. 

I do feel there is some legitimate reason for concern here. If they’re able to remain healthy, I think we’ll see this rotation tighten up a little and clearer roles can finally be established. Simply put, UW needs more from this group.

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Greg Gard allowing the Badgers to push the pace

Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard has allowed the Badgers to push the pace more this year, and it’s hard to argue with the results.

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard has mentioned throughout the years that he welcomed the thought of playing at a faster pace, so long as they continued to play smart and take care of the basketball. This season coach Gard has proven to be a man of his word, allowing this year’s team to dictate their pace of play by the feel of the game.

The Badgers currently rank 271st in adjusted tempo, which is hardly the mark of a run and gun team. But, it’s also a stark contrast to the disciplined and methodical approach they’ve taken offensively for the better part of the last two decades.

For reference, UW has never finished higher than 320th in adjusted tempo since metric started being recorded by KenPom.

 

Pace of play by year:

2021-22: 272

2020-21: 328

2019-20: 342

2018-19: 331

2017-18: 347

2016-17: 334

2015-16: 344

 

Coach Gard has given this young team a sense of freedom while showing a willingness to adapt to the strengths of his personnel.

The Badgers have players like Hepburn and Davis capable of pushing the pace, rim running big men, and Brad Davison to shoot three’s in transition. In short, they have the necessary pieces to push the ball in transition should they see a chance to strike.

Coach Gard’s sole focus on offense is getting the best shot possible. Whether that comes early in the shot clock or at the final second is unimportant, it’s about what’s best for the team.

The Badgers are currently ranked 1st in the nation in turnover%, so they’ve been no less efficient with the ball while picking up the pace. Wisconsin has shown a great sense of when to push the pace and when to run their half-court sets.

It’s been refreshing to watch Wisconsin play more up-tempo on occasion, and one can’t help but wonder if other in-state talent is beginning to take notice.

This balanced brand of basketball could certainly be appealing to recruits that Wisconsin has otherwise struggled to recruit. Either way, kudos to coach Gard for adapting his philosophy to better fit the personnel and allowing his team to play more freely.

 

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Top 5 individual scoring performances of the Bo Ryan & Greg Gard eras

Here, in order, are Wisconsin’s top five individual scoring performances of the Bo Ryan and Greg Gard era’s.

Monday night against Purdue, Wisconsin Badgers star guard Johnny Davis posted one of the most memorable scoring barrages in recent memory.

The sophomore guard finished with 37 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a 74-69 victory at Mackey Arena.

It was a top-five individual scoring performance against a team ranked in the top five, and put Davis’ name firmly in the discussion for National Player of the Year.

The La Crosse, Wisconsin, native’s historic offensive performance took me on a stroll down memory lane on other big-time individual scoring performances in program history.

So, here, in order, are the school’s top five individual scoring performances of the Bo Ryan and Greg Gard eras.