If I Were Greg Gard: 2024 Wisconsin Men's Basketball Offseason
If I was Greg Gard, here's what I could do this offseason to put the Badgers in the best position to succeed in 2024-25.
Greg Gard and the University of Wisconsin men's basketball program followed up disappointing a season where the Badgers missed the NCAA Tournament by returning to the Big Dance and earning a 5-seed.
The Badgers reached as high as No. 6 in the Associated Press Top 25 polls this season before a February skid brought them back to earth. When all was said and done, Wisconsin basketball fell one game shy of a Big Ten tournament title and went home in the Round of 64.
Despite the vocal minority of fans calling for Wisconsin to part ways with Gard, Athletic Director Chris McIntosh confirmed that he would be returning next season.
"I think Greg puts us in the best position to be successful into the future," McIntosh said. "I think Greg has a great understanding of what's needed in the continued evaluation of our program to get there. It's a program that's been evolving with the times that we live in, and I'm excited about some of the things that he and I talked about for the future and the evolution of our program."
While Gard's return to the Wisconsin basketball program was never in question, there's no denying that the Badgers staff has an important offseason ahead of them because the pressure to win in March is starting to mount — and the seat is getting warmer.
Knowing the importance of this particular offseason, I will conduct my annual offseason exercise to map out what I would do if I were Greg Gard or, in the future, [insert coach here].
*I want to start by acknowledging that it's much simpler to voice these opinions when my choices have no real consequences and don't impact personal relationships. Unlike the dedicated individuals involved with the Wisconsin basketball team, my daily life remains unaffected by the team's wins or losses throughout the season.
With that said, let's delve into the discussion.
Bring in Two Impact Transfers From the Portal
Last offseason, I sat here and wrote about the importance of Greg Gard getting Wisconsin basketball a legit small forward from the portal. Doing the same thing this offseason will be equally as important.
With AJ Storr testing the NBA Draft waters and re-entering his name into the portal, the Badgers can't sit around and wait to find out if he'll come back because, if we're being honest, the odds of that happening are slim.