Greg Gard defends Wisconsin senior forward after strong play vs. Montana State
This story was updated to add new information.
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard came to the defense of Badgers senior forward Carter Gilmore after the team’s 79-67 win over Montana State on Thursday.
Gilmore, who played 19 minutes off the bench in the Badgers’ victory, again played a big role on both sides of the court. He finished with four points on 2-of-3 shooting, two assists, two rebounds and one highlight block.
Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s win over Montana State
Gard highlighted his performance, especially on the defensive side, when speaking postgame.
“[Gilmore] just gives us such a steadying [presence],” Gard began. “And I know he’s taken a lot of s*** over his career here. And it’s, quite frankly, unwarranted. Because if you have you have any idea what you’re looking at, you can see that he really anchors us defensively, he covers up a lot of stuff, he’s really good in the ball screens…He’s just a ballplayer.”
The senior forward has nine total points on 4-of-5 shooting through two games, in addition to four rebounds, two assists and a block. Those totals are all on an early pace to surpass his 2022-23 totals when he averaged 18.8 minutes per game off the bench.
Gard highlighted Gilmore’s versatility in the lineup, pointing to more minutes and more opportunities down the road.
“We can play him at various positions, played him at the three a lot during the preseason,” Gard continued. “He’s covers up mistakes defensively of other guys, Tyler Wahl did that. They’re different. But he has such a good feel for the game and talks the game the right way. The things he’s talking about and asking about — he’s seeing it and talking like a coach…He’s been able to play within his strengths and not get outside of his strengths. He’s very valuable. He’s smart, he’s tough, he covers up mistakes, he knows what we’re doing. He really is a good leader…He’s an unsung important piece to this group.”
Gilmore currently slots into the lineup as a primary backup forward behind starters Nolan Winter and Steven Crowl. He should continue to be a key force off the bench as the team continues to grow throughout the season.
Gard, Gilmore and the Badgers are back on the court on Nov. 10 at home against Appalachian State.
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