Check out this week’s Open Jim podcast, which includes my take on some key issues as the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team enters the final week of regular-season play.
What do you hypothesize is the reversal for the men’s basketball team since January? Is this a coaching issue? A player/locker room issue? A “hot streak hitting at the wrong time” issue?
— BethAnn Meier (@BAMeier) March 4, 2024
Something to break up the basketball chatter. With the OL and S coaching hires, Fickell’s coaching staff is once again full. What do you feel are its biggest strengths and weaknesses?
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) March 4, 2024
People are also reading…
is it time to have the greg gard conversation again?
— Max (@vanhaverenm) March 4, 2024
What does Greg Gard have to do to keep his job?
— Corey Otis (@CoreyWOtis) March 4, 2024
What does Greg Gard have to do to lose his job?
— Dave Dexter (@DDex145) March 4, 2024
What would have to happen in your opinion for Gard to be out?
— Badger fan (@Juansmi39741088) March 4, 2024
When will UW fire Gard? This program will never get any better with Gard as a Coach!
— jason scott (@jasonsc82489339) March 4, 2024
Assuming we don’t like beat Purdue or win more than max one tournament game, how secure do you think Gard’s job is
— Ryan Matson (@RyanMats23) March 4, 2024
Where do you see Chris Mac’s patience with a team that was 16-4 and then pretty much completely stopped playing defense… which is pretty much the one thing GG has always coached well. 2nd straight season they faded down the regular season stretch.
— Rob F (@RobFinley27) March 4, 2024
If Wisconsin loses 3 more games is the season over
— jaydenreed(0-0) (@Beau09222294) March 4, 2024
The basketball season has pretty much exactly followed the trajectory of how AJ Storr is playing. He seems to have lost his jumper since 1st half Nebraska. Is coaching at all to blame for that or is that mostly on AJ?
— Pontchartrain Powered (@DvsEverybody313) March 4, 2024
Jim, does Gard need to be held responsible for not having g a viable backup to the backup at PG? I mean, the lack of quality minutes Lindsay can provide in Kamari’s absence has been astonishing.
— Pete (@Htown_999) March 4, 2024
Lack of defense vs. Illinois turns Wisconsin men's basketball fans sour on emotional day
Good use of epic
This team was 16 - 4 and #6 in the country and up 17 at half time vs Nebraska on February 1st.
— chuckwestover (@chuckwestover) March 2, 2024
One month ago.
What an epic collapse.
It transcended the game
Marcus Domask comes back home and leads Illinois with 31pts. The Badgers lose again on the one day where they had to win: Howard Moore Day. We all got to see him, whether at the Kohl Center, on TV, or hearing about him on the ESPN radio game of the day. What a moment.
— Jeff Ostach☮️ (@jeff_ostach) March 2, 2024
Credit to Southern Illinois?
Many saw the Wahl-Domask match-up as a referendum on 2019 recruiting, but it was more a study in player development.
— Rob Hernandez (@RobHernandezGLF) March 2, 2024
Wahl was the No. 38 SF nationally in the 2019 class; Domask was No. 103. One has risen exponentially higher than the other & dominated the proceedings Saturday.
Treading water
Gard legit could be getting into trouble future-wise.
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) March 2, 2024
D terrible. Bench disappearing. Crowl regressing like Reuvers. Chuckie cursed by Izzo’s words of praise. Lose to Rutgers and it’s very bad news for their tourney seed.
Seeing ghosts?
Marcus Domask took Tyler Wahl's soul today. Wisconsin Mr. Basketball in 2019 comes back to haunt his home state.
— Bill Pfeiffer (@billt209) March 2, 2024
More of an indictment on team D?
At what point of the 32 that Demaus scored one on one against Wahl that Gard thought hmm…maybe I should play a zone or change it up? Dude refuses to do any traps, zones or any changes. I mean you messed up not giving him a scholarship and he dominated Wahl 1-1| #firegard
— ChazB (@chazb33) March 2, 2024
Somehow, Vegas saw Badgers as favorites
Of all the recent losses, this is the least egregious. Illinois is good and Damask was incredible. Sometimes a team is better than you are.
— Badger Steve 🧀🍺🦌 (@UW_Steve) March 2, 2024
Free money, some would say
Basically what I expected, and I suspect what most fans expected. I've never bet on sports, but that 3.5 pt line favoring Wisconsin made me really tempted.
— Nick P Bassill (@NickPBassill) March 2, 2024
He benched himself with fouls
I am just angry this time. Even with the extra incentive to play well for Howard, they couldn’t do it. Our horrible defense and foul trouble AND not making free throws is the way we end games now. Crowl should be benched.
— Mary Korn Erickson (@sixtiesfan) March 2, 2024
And a reason for their downfall
Another atrocious defensive performance. Gard’s Refusal to even attempt to try a zone when his team gets torched every game is starting to really frustrate even this Gard supporter. 12th in defensive fg pct isn’t good enough in the big 10
— Kirk Eastenson (@Eastyfor3) March 2, 2024
Peaked too early
Greg Gard knows the goal is to get better as the season goes along, right?
— Randall Kohl (@crandallkohl) March 2, 2024
Enjoy your free time!
My thought is this team is definitely no longer worth my time, sadly.
— J. Smith (@edgehatfield) March 2, 2024
I'll trust the coach's comments
ADJUSTMENTS. ADJUSTMENTS ADJUSTMENTS is so important and I just don’t see any. Wahl is a great defender and got chewed up in Iso Action. So much opportunity to attack the ISO
— Coach Eddie (@EddieAndrist1) March 2, 2024
Odd to see them sit back and do nothing
Issue all season the inability (possibly stubbornness) to make any defensive adjustments. At what point do you double Domask if you can’t play zone?? Gard’s answer this game and all season with adjustments is never.
— C.J. Boehler (@CJBoehler) March 2, 2024
Seat has to be hot for him w/this talented of a team
Becoming? It's long been an issue
I liked the effort, but it is another loss. The defense is becoming a serious problem. 83 points should be enough to win at home.
— Jim (@Bigtenman77) March 2, 2024
Domask would be a nice X-factor
Domask and Shannon were special, Crowl just kills the Badgers when he plays like this, that 4th foul was embarrassing poor. Good for Domask who would have been a great Badger! Another miss by Gard of in state players.
— Gary Brilowski (@gbrilo) March 2, 2024
Curious to see what the roster holds
When I look at this team it’s decent, just not good enough. Talent is not there to get it done. And looking ahead to next year, beyond, I don’t see Gard getting it done.. Think it’s time to get a fresh direction, system in there.
— Paul Bergum (@paul_bergum) March 2, 2024
It was an emotional afternoon
For those that love college Hoops Domask is one of those types that make the sport great. May not be an NBA guy but dominates games as there was no stopping him. So happy to see Howard Moore just wish they could gotten a W for him. Season continues.
— mike kerry (@BadgerMike) March 2, 2024
It will be in eight days
This is a game I don’t mind losing if they hadn’t had lost 6 of their last 8. Is conference play over yet?
— Mitchell Gauger (@MitchellGauger) March 2, 2024
Early-season results say yes
I guess my question to you Jim, the fans, is watching this team, seeing who’s on the bench.. is there enough talent there to win? I don’t see it and it’s shown up the last ten plus games.. it’s an average team talent wise with no room for error from the starters ..
— Paul Bergum (@paul_bergum) March 2, 2024
Illini could make a run
If they play this hard on Thursday they will beat Rutgers by 10 plus . But , obviously this team is fighting it confidence wise. Thought overall they played pretty well. Tip your cap to Illini .
— Theheartbreakkid21 (@Gobrewers21) March 2, 2024
Somewhat had no choice
Sick of hearing how great of a coach Gard is let Domask eat 1 on 1 all day, finally took him until the end of the year to go small and put the best players on the court
— numbWIsportsfan (@RIPReggieK) March 2, 2024
We've learned that over time
Nice that they had a good run early season but they never were a top tier NCAA or Big Ten team.
— JP (@JP_Badger) March 2, 2024
A tough realization
Disappointed. There is no “fix” to this team, they can’t “play better”. Lack of talent athletically and no high % shooters. Domask puts on clinic doesn’t help either.
— Mark Marriott (@MarkAMarriott) March 2, 2024
Who can they rally around?
The team has no real leadership or real dog in them, and coaching is clearly failing. It's time for a change
— My_Bourbon_Journey (@spage13) March 2, 2024
Doh!
— Ben Bryan (@BenBryan) March 2, 2024
Illinois locked him up early
Congrats to Domask. Good decision to spurn the Badger in the transfer portal.
— Mike Zale (@mikezale) March 2, 2024
They sure are
Badgers are a better NIT team. No longer prime time. Wisconsin talent is leaving the state.
— PackerGreg (@PackerGreg1) March 2, 2024
Margins are slim
Coach doesn’t seem to know when to substitute or who goes in and who comes out. Pulls the sub out if they miss a shot or has an oops on defense. Chucky, Tyler and Crowl tend to play 3 on 5 most of the time.
— Don Voss (@Seatweaver) March 2, 2024
Probably, but plenty of (post)season left
Shocking that this team couldn’t win one for Howard. If they couldn’t win this one with a special motivation.. where’s alando tucker when you need him to spill some locker room drama on the street. Shut the program down and bring back baseball. Too harsh?
— WISkeylover54 (@WISkeylover54) March 2, 2024
