In this series, I want to look back on the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this installment, that word is leadership.
If you went by what Badger Twitter said, 2019-20 was an absolute roller-coaster ride for Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard. With all the events that took place both on and even more significantly off the court, how could it not have been a topsy-turvy year?
What Gard did in February, and what was left of March, was calm the storm that had been brewing all season. At the right time, he settled this team down and the Badgers found their identity behind balanced offense and poised defense. The locker room celebration after the Badgers defeated Indiana to win the Big Ten regular season championship was the party that this group deserved.
An unseen moment from right after the final horn sounded at Assembly Hall recently went viral on Twitter thanks to Zach Heilprin, the sports director at The Zone Madison. Gard takes the time to give massive hugs out to each player as they make their way to the locker room for the postgame celebration. This is what leadership is all about:
Never saw this before. Pretty sure it wasn’t on the original broadcast.
Greg Gard with huge hugs for all the players as they headed to the locker room after the Indiana game. #Badgers pic.twitter.com/sU6JMgtWTz
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) March 21, 2020