It’s Time to Think Bold

[DoctorV]

IMO smart can hold a candle to Gard. Guard is simply smarter than Smart. You can tell by the way they play offense with their sets and they play better defense much better coached. UT is laughing at us. They knew exactly what we were getting. But it's also the administration which is to blame not to mention the donors.

You sound slow, and that's ok.

Shaka is a vastly superior college basketball coach to Gard.

Our fans keep calling for Shaka's head after one terrible season, and that's not fair.
Gard keeps tiptoeing the line to do just enough for them to be good enough, and that's ok too.

Shaka is still the better coach

[tower912]

I am sorry about the typo. thanks for the correction. It's okay to disagree. Enjoy the rest of the season.

All about the growth and development now.  Saw some today. 

Bad seasons aren't fun.

[rgoode57]

It is an interesting question. Gard seems to take players that are not superstars and somehow make a good team out of them every year. He is always putting a competitive team on the floor. Shaka was doing that too - mostly with players he did not recruit - until this year. Now, with only players he did recruit, Shaka's product doesn't look so good. I am a fan of Shaka - mostly - but this year has me wondering. And, the failure to get end-of-game shots on close games (3 times now?) is driving me crazy. Something tells me Gard's teams would have gotten those shots.

[brewcity77]

Shaka is a vastly superior college basketball coach to Gard.

Maybe, but I think you vastly underrate Gard.

In the previous 10 seasons, Gard has had 8 tourney level teams, Shaka has had 7. Gard has two Sweet 16s & 7 total NCAA wins, Shaka has 1 Sweet 16 & 3 NCAA wins. Gard has won 12+ conference games 6 times, Shaka has done it 3. Gard has a 4-1 head to head record against Shaka. Both coaches have 13 wins over top-10 kenpom teams.

I'm not saying I like Gard better, but Greg Gard is pretty clearly the second best coach in Wisconsin Badger history and is a good D1 coach. He doesn't have a Final Four or NCOY award like Shaka, but he's adapted his program to both transfers and a faster pace. If he's at Wisconsin another 10 years, he'll almost certainly be the winningest coach in their history.

There's nothing wrong with acknowledging your rival is good, and Greg Gard is certainly a good coach.

[Nukem2]

Players and Shaka seem to defer to Chase as team leader in these final seconds situations. Unfortunately, while he does have a lot of good attributes, he is not a very good decision maker with the ball and his next pass might be his first.

[muwarrior69]

You sound slow, and that's ok.

Shaka is a vastly superior college basketball coach to Gard.

Our fans keep calling for Shaka's head after one terrible season, and that's not fair.
Gard keeps tiptoeing the line to do just enough for them to be good enough, and that's ok too.

Shaka is still the better coach

...but the jury is still out on recruiting. The only alpha on this team is Nigel who did not redshirt. Let' see what the '27 class looks like.

[Viper]

You sound slow, and that's ok.

Shaka is a vastly superior college basketball coach to Gard.

Our fans keep calling for Shaka's head after one terrible season, and that's not fair.
Gard keeps tiptoeing the line to do just enough for them to be good enough, and that's ok too.

Shaka is still the better coach

why do you feel Shaka is vastly superior to Gard? Not asking in a snarky way, sincerely curious. Shaka is 1-4 vs Gard, so the head-up says all Gard. Shaka has had two 2-seeds, but Gard is coaching in the superior conference. I give both coaches credit to their approach. Gard went to the portal. He's adapted. Not head turning success overall...but not bad either. And, RED might be on to something going forward. That win at UM was darn impressive. Shaka went with the essence of basketball...recruit high school talent. I prefer it. Most of us do. Obviously it hasn't worked...this season. Also, Shaka's end of game coaching is poor. For that matter, his substitution  patterns are woefully weak, not just this year. A guy will be on a roll, then gets pulled. Gard isn't necessarily a maestro . Some of his in-game coaching is almost scripted. But, he's kept his ship afloat. SS Shaka taking on water. Hence, share your thoughts on Shaka being vastly superior. (Personally, I say push. Both have strengths and weaknesses)

[wadesworld]

why do you feel Shaka is vastly superior to Gard? Not asking in a snarky way, sincerely curious. Shaka is 1-4 vs Gard, so the head-up says all Gard. Shaka has had two 2-seeds, but Gard is coaching in the superior conference. I give both coaches credit to their approach. Gard went to the portal. He's adapted. Not head turning success overall...but not bad either. And, RED might be on to something going forward. That win at UM was darn impressive. Shaka went with the essence of basketball...recruit high school talent. I prefer it. Most of us do. Obviously it hasn't worked...this season. Also, Shaka's end of game coaching is poor. For that matter, his substitution  patterns are woefully weak, not just this year. A guy will be on a roll, then gets pulled. Gard isn't necessarily a maestro . Some of his in-game coaching is almost scripted. But, he's kept his ship afloat. SS Shaka taking on water. Hence, share your thoughts on Shaka being vastly superior. (Personally, I say push. Both have strengths and weaknesses)

Shaka has taken his own roster and been to a Final Four. He took Marquette to a Sweet Sixteen, yes with some guys Wojo recruited to MU but Shaka had to at least sell those guys on sticking around. All of Gard's Tournament success was thanks to a roster Bo Ryan put together. Gard didn't even have to convince the guys to stay, as he took over when Bo left in the middle of the season. And the second year, he kept the core of that roster before NIL and immediate eligibility were even a thing, and there was no offseason coaching change for any immediate eligibility waivers.

In my book, the longer Gard is around the better.

[nyg]

Shaka has taken his own roster and been to a Final Four. He took Marquette to two Sweet Sixteens, yes with some guys Wojo recruited to MU but Shaka had to at least sell those guys on sticking around. All of Gard's Tournament success was thanks to a roster Bo Ryan put together. Gard didn't even have to convince the guys to stay, as he took over when Bo left in the middle of the season. And the second year, he kept the core of that roster before NIL and immediate eligibility were even a thing, and there was no offseason coaching change for any immediate eligibility waivers.

In my book, the longer Gard is around the better.

Two Sweet Sixteens??

Maybe you are confused because you always remind everyone that Shaka has taken MU to a 9, 2, 2, and 7 seeds.

[wadesworld]

Two Sweet Sixteens??

Maybe you are confused because you always remind everyone that Shaka has taken MU to a 9, 2, 2, and 7 seeds.

Yup sorry had that wrong.

[nyg]

Yup sorry had that wrong.

No problem, figured I'd advise before pile on starts

[BCHoopster]

I am disappointed in both coaches not being able to keep some home grown talent home.  Gard right now has the upper hand of understanding today's environment.  Finding Tonje last year this year Boyd. Finds kids that make shots, beating Michigan was impressive.  Shaka has recruited more athletic players whom might not be good hoop players. To many misses in the recruiting game.  Finally, trying to figure out what Shaka's offense does, late game poor, Gard has shooters, Shaka does not. It will be very interesting to see how both coaches play the portal this year.  Gard will do something, Shaka who knows?

[Billy Hoyle]

Maybe, but I think you vastly underrate Gard.

I'm not saying I like Gard better, but Greg Gard is pretty clearly the second best coach in Wisconsin Badger history and is a good D1 coach. He doesn't have a Final Four or NCOY award like Shaka, but he's adapted his program to both transfers and a faster pace. If he's at Wisconsin another 10 years, he'll almost certainly be the winningest coach in their history.

There's nothing wrong with acknowledging your rival is good, and Greg Gard is certainly a good coach.

Agree with all of that except Gard is #3. Bo and Bennett are by far #1 and #2 (begrudgingly I have to put Bo at #1).

[brewcity77]

Agree with all of that except Gard is #3. Bo and Bennett are by far #1 and #2 (begrudgingly I have to put Bo at #1).

Bennett had a great Final 4 run, but 3 bids in 6 years & no NCAA wins outside that run, he just didn't have the sustained success or longevity that Gard has had. He doesn't get extra credit for Stevens Point or Green Bay.

[Juan Anderson's Mixtape]

I respect Gard for being able to self reflect, adapt, and change his approach when things don't work.

But it's been quite the Gard love fest around here after Wisconsin's first notable win of the season.  Prior to the Michigan game, the Badgers were 0-5 in Q1 games.  A game that the Badgers needed an outlier shooting performance to win by 3.

15 made threes (7 more than Michigan), while making 45% of them (12% better than their season average).

Didn't read all of this praise when Nebraska and Purdue crushed them, or when Wisconsin lost to TCU by 11.  But hey, one win, and Gard is suddenly the greatest thing since sliced cheese.

[MU82]

I'm not saying Gard is a bad coach, nor am I saying whether he is or isn't better than Shaka.

But he has won a grand total of 3 NCAAT games, never reaching the second weekend, in 8 seasons since getting to the S16 twice with Bo's players. Perhaps even more damning: He went 1-3 vs. Wojo in the same span.

[Billy Hoyle]

Bennett had a great Final 4 run, but 3 bids in 6 years & no NCAA wins outside that run, he just didn't have the sustained success or longevity that Gard has had. He doesn't get extra credit for Stevens Point or Green Bay.

He took over a program with no history of success and was still playing in the dilapidated Fieldhouse. They hadn't finished with a winning record in the Big Ten in 23 years.  He ushered in the modern era of Badger hoops, which is why I put him at #2. It did seem like he coached longer than six years at Madison.

I remember going to my first game at the Kohl Center in 1998 and laughing about the complete lack of banners in the rafters.  Forget titles, they had only been to the tourny once since 1947.