Wisconsin Badgers hoops were ranked 12th at the start of the 2024-2025 season but they disappointed these naysayers and now, they are among the hottest team coming into the NCAA tournament. Greg Gard has utmost confidence on his team.
The team lost the chance to win the Big Ten title after succumbing to Michigan Wolverines in the finals and they now head on to the March Madness without feeling down despite the defeat.
Karley Marotta of WKOW 27 News reported that Gard is in good spirits ahead of the first round game which will take place on Thursday.
Among the things he noted is the team’s health which got in the way of their run last season. He said the team is relatively healthy compared to before.
Some notes from Greg Gard’s presser:
– Says there’s an advantage to playing right away on Thursday. Keep it going.
– Didn’t think Saturday or Sunday’s outcomes impacted their seed and location. Felt the committee already had it decided.
– Encouraged by the team’s defensive…— Karley Marotta (@Karley_Marotta) March 18, 2025
Notable injury reports from last two weeks for the Badgers were Max Klesmit and Nolan Winter who sat out some of the last regular season games. The returned triumphantly in the Big Ten tourney to help their team reach the finals.
Greg Gard prepares Wisconsin Badgers for a ‘special time’
The past seasons have been disappointing for Badgers hoops to the point they think the team is cursed. They will start the season strong and then falter before the NCAA tournament.
It was brought up again in late January when the team lost to Maryland. Gard dismissed the ‘curse notion’ saying “there is no reason to lose confidence.”
Now, they head to the tournament feeling good. Gard even said:
“You don’t take this for granted. This is a special time.”
His confidence on his boys never waiver despite the Big Ten disappointment and he believes they can go deep in the tourney.
“We were picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten and now if you look at the seed lines, we’re in the top 12 in the country. To win 26 games with the schedule we played. They left it all on the floor all year long and they know they have a lot of basketball left in them. We can do some damage here in the next few weeks.”
Badgers will continue to rely on a team play to advance. John Tonje, who has been named to All American second team is expected to bounce back and will have a lot of help from the likes of John Blackwell, Klesmit, Winter, and Steven Crowl.
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