Greg Gard knows Wisconsin basketball must 'raise the bar defensively' to become elite
Wisconsin already proved it can score with anyone. Now Greg Gard believes becoming a more complete defensive team is the next step toward competing at the highest level.
Everyone remembers how much fun Wisconsin’s offense was last season. It was one of the most dynamic groups Greg Gard has ever coached.
The Badgers averaged 83.0 points per game, finished 10th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency, and attempted a program-record 32.3 three-pointers per game, the seventh-highest mark in the country. It was one of Wisconsin’s most efficient scoring attacks in years.
San Diego State transfer Nick Boyd blossomed into an All-Big Ten guard. John Blackwell gave Wisconsin another dynamic scoring option on the wing and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention. The duo formed one of the best backcourts nationally, and opposing defenses rarely got a break.
But as the season wore on, the trade-off became harder to ignore. The Badgers could score with almost anybody, but they could not consistently string together enough stops on defense to reach their ceiling.
Wisconsin allowed 76.1 points per game, finished 56th nationally in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency, and graded out in just the 45th percentile in CBB Analytics defensive rating. Opponents shot 44.6% from the field, 33.4% from three, and the Badgers rarely generated turnovers or protected the rim at a level capable of offsetting those deficiencies.
Ultimately, that imbalance helped define the season.
Even during a 24-11 campaign that produced a fifth-place finish in the Big Ten and a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament, Wisconsin’s inability to string together consistent defensive stops kept the Badgers from reaching their ceiling. Those imperfections were on full display when 12-seed High Point scored 83 points in an opening-round NCAA Tournament upset.
Gard has spent very little time pretending that wasn’t a problem.
