The Wisconsin Badgers saw their season come to an end on the first day of the NCAA Tournament, marking the second time in three years that they were a first-round exit as a No. 5 seed.
The abrupt departure came after the Badgers were riding hot heading into March Madness, knocking off the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini in the final two weeks before the NCAA Tournament. After a 9-5 start to the season, Wisconsin finished 24-11 with a 14-6 record in the Big Ten, recording arguably the best group of wins in the country with Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and Illinois (2x).
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For a variety of reasons, this season just had a lot of layers to it. This group looked far different at the beginning of the year, as they initially struggled to mesh with each other. That’s natural for a team with eight new faces, but there were some early frustrations in the season, best recapped by Wisconsin’s heartbreaking defeat to the Villanova Wildcats at the Fiserv Forum that left Nolan Winter in tears at the postgame press conference.
But it really felt like the Badgers were in a tough spot during their 89-73 loss to Purdue back in January. That was a game that really tested Wisconsin, as they were very competitive in the first half, getting to within seven at halftime. But the collapse was ugly in the second half as Wisconsin went from a four-point deficit to a 24-point deficit in the span of seven minutes, which just felt demoralizing at the Kohl Center.
At a huge inflection point of the season, everything turned around with the Michigan game, as Wisconsin shocked the world by upsetting the hottest team in the country on the road. From there, the Badgers finally got into form, with the big wins coming in February and a five-game win streak right near the start of the NCAA Tournament.
That’s why Thursday’s loss to the High Point Panthers really stung. Not only did the Badgers look good with seven minutes left in the game before ultimately losing in the final seconds, but the raw emotion from Gard and players like John Blackwell, knowing what this team could have been, made the loss even tougher to swallow.
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Naturally, following the loss, which marked the ninth straight year that Wisconsin either didn’t make the tournament or didn’t get out of the first weekend, there were conversations about Gard and his lack of success in March.
And that’s true. Wisconsin has failed to have success at the highest levels when it matters the most, missing the tournament twice, being a first-round exit three times, and being a second-round exit three times during that stretch. That has come with the Badgers earning some pretty high seeds in the tournament, being a No. 3 seed twice, a No. 5 seed three times, and a No. 9 seed once.
Is that a reflection of Gard as a coach? Yes and no.
The Badgers need to be better in March, especially when there’s a pattern of losses, and that’s something Gard and his staff will continue having to evaluate. In Thursday’s game, while High Point was on a heater from deep with 15 threes, I broke down why the matchup was still there to be had, and there were several factors that the Badgers didn’t take advantage of. That’s on the players, but also the coaching staff, especially on the defensive end of the ball.
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Still, one loss does not take away everything the Badgers built this season. This was truly a memorable season for the Badgers, who found a way out of their shell and showed they could be one of the most dangerous teams in the country. It started with the roster construction in the offseason, where Gard and his staff absolutely hit on the dot with the additions of Nick Boyd, Braeden Carrington, Austin Rapp, and Andrew Rohde.
Gard saw the impact Boyd could have in an offense that catered to his strengths and the value of increased tempo, which sent the Badgers offense to new heights this year, as Wisconsin scored the most points per game in program history since 1971.
Gard got the most out of Braeden Carrington by creating shots at his go-to spots, having a defined role for him on both sides, and bumping his three-point efficiency from 33.6 percent to 40.1 percent on 5.1 attempts per game. Carrington was previously a 33.3 percent three-point shooter as a freshman and a 22.1 percent three-point shooter as a sophomore, so that was another great evaluation.
Rapp was another great fit for the offense, and Wisconsin saw the potential there, which really started to come out over the final two months of the season after a slow start. Rapp’s game grew levels this year, with the forward becoming more physical and engaged defensively, a better rebounder, and more well-rounded offensively, while still being a player who could get hot from three.
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As for Rohde, while his impact wasn’t always seen in the box score, he was much needed as a secondary ball-handler and playmaker, with his passing being such an underrated asset for Wisconsin’s offense. More importantly, he was always willing to engage with the opponent’s top playmaker defensively, carrying some difficult assignments and holding his ground there.
Wisconsin’s resources have grown in the NIL era, but that has largely been because of Gard’s efforts in constantly engaging with the donor base, rather than an influx from the Athletic Department. They still aren’t at the top of the conference, so it’s extremely important to hit on evaluations in the transfer portal and build a roster strategically.
That’s very difficult to do when overhauling a roster and bringing in a large group of new players, as we’ve seen with a couple of teams this season (and in recent years). But Gard and his staff have done a masterful job of maximizing their resources in the portal over the past few years.
Back in the 2023 offseason, Wisconsin had a great evaluation with AJ Storr, who blossomed into a star after averaging 9.9 points as a freshman at St. John’s. That came one year after adding Max Klesmit and Kamari McGee, who became crucial pieces for the Badgers in the ensuing years.
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Then, in 2024, Wisconsin had arguably the best transfer in the country with John Tonje, who was another amazing evaluation after the guard missed most of the year before due to injury. While they missed on Camren Hunter after scrambling to find a replacement for Chucky Hepburn, they saw other players in the program (like Klesmit and McGee) grow, and had one of the best teams under Gard in 2024-25.
Then, this offseason, the additions of Boyd, Carrington, Rapp, and Rohde were evidently key for the Badgers as they turned things around in the second half.
It’s not only the transfer portal where they’ve seen success. John Blackwell and Nolan Winter were big hits in the 2023 class, turning into All-Conference caliber players. The 2024 class wasn’t as fruitful (at least yet), but the 2025 class seems to be a big hit with Hayden Jones, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Zach Kinziger, and Will Garlock all showing potential this season in their respective roles.
Going back to the point, Gard and his staff have constantly shown the ability to evaluate, identify, and target fits in their evolving system, maximizing their resources to field a very competitive team in one of the toughest conferences in the country.
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There’s a reason Wisconsin has constantly been in the top third of the conference under Gard, finishing in the top six of the Big Ten in seven of the past eight years. That consistent success is far more important than one-off games in the NCAA Tournament, no matter how frustrating the final outcome can be.
Gard has long been an underrated coach, but the last few years have shown how good he is and can be in the evolving nature of college basketball. With analytics becoming more prevalent in college basketball, Gard’s offensive shift has led Wisconsin to be one of the most efficient offenses in the country over the past few years.
Since turning to an offense that predominates on threes, shots at the rim, and free throws, Wisconsin has been top-20 in adjusted offensive efficiency in each of the past three years. That’s extremely impressive when considering the year-by-year turnover.
Gard has made the correct staffing and personnel decisions in the past few years, and he’s also tapped into the international pool of recruits, with Aleksas Bieliauskas being a big hit as a freshman. There’s clear evolution across the board, and that often goes under the rug when thinking about coaches.
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Looking specifically on the court too, Gard has been quite successful in a number of key areas. Wisconsin has generally been good on the road, and Gard has picked up quite a few ranked road wins in his tenure, which speaks to the coaching staff’s preparation and culture. He’s also been revered by players, who praise the consistency that comes with the program, and should be applauded for roster retention with stars.
It’s extremely hard to be consistent year after year with success. Just ask Matt Painter, Tom Izzo, or some of the other elite coaches in the Big Ten.
At Purdue, Painter has been one of the best coaches in college basketball history. But even he faced his own troubles in March, getting to the second weekend only twice in his first 11 years with the Boilermakers, where he fell in the Sweet Sixteen both times. Similarly, in 10 years at the helm, Gard has taken the Badgers to two Sweet Sixteen appearances.
Am I saying that Gard will turn things around completely and reach the second weekend in six of the next eight postseasons, while winning a National Championship? No. But March Madness success is so volatile that it’s unfair to completely throw out the consistent regular-season success as a result.
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Gard and his staff will have a lot to figure out this offseason, where roster questions will be a hot topic once again. This loss will probably weigh heavily on them and the returning players because of what this team could have been. But raising any questions about job security and those types of matters is asinine when considering the consistency that Wisconsin has had under their head coach over the past decade.
