3 Point Takes: Northwestern 60, Wisconsin 52

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It was over from the opening tip at the Kohl Center, and not in the way Badgers fans were hoping to see. Northwestern gathered in the opening tip, nailed a three-pointer and raced to an 18-1 lead before UW knew what hit them. Wisconsin made runs of their own in the game, but the 17-point deficit was simply too much to overcome. The loss was the seventh in the last eight games for the Badgers and...

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I don't believe this team is as bad as their record states. I'm slowly losing faith in Gard's ability to guide this team, because I see there is talent out there, and shouldn't be a patsy for everyone... yet, they are.

I have this feeling, in the back of my stomach, that he's going to be gone at the end of this year. I know it's a quick switch, but maybe it's needed before it gets bad enough to be a program in total disarray.
 
Sorry but I gotta disagree some on the "talent" part of your statement TW. Let's look at what they've got.
-A legit player at center who can't hit the broad side of a barn beyond 8 feet and who can't hit free throws so costs his team 4-5 points at the line every night.
-A true freshman power forward who has anything but "power" to his game.
-A small forward who also can't hit a shot from more than 8 feet to save his life.
-A shooting guard who can't shoot much of the time. He was 0-11 against NW. If he hits 3-4 shots it's a game.
-A one-armed true freshman point guard who is not really a point guard.
-The bench is Ford, Schlundt, Moesch and Illikainen - probably the worst 4 guys off the bench in terms of raw talent and athleticism of any Big-10 squad.

Is Gard part of the problem, sure, but let's remember he's also the guy who rescued this team from an awful start a couple of years ago and turned it into a sweet-16 team. I don't think BA is gonna drop him just like that because of one disappointing year. I can't put my finger on what's going on with this group. They play hard and smart for stretches and then lose it just like that, and collectively play like crap for 5-10 minutes at a time. Really hard to watch at times. Gard will get another year I think, with a little deeper and older group.
 
I can't argue with too much of what you said 57. The chips are stacked against Gard this year. But, as one person fairly close to the program stated to me, in private, the coach isn't hard-assed enough to get people charged up.

I still believe there's talent on this team, it just has to be harnessed, and used effectively. That's not happening. I also agree he'll have one more year to get things rolling. But, at this point, I have no faith in him being able to do that.

I can only imagine how animated Bo would be, with his players, if they played like the Badgers are today. He would have had a coronary at least 3 or 4 times a game. csr( I can hear him now......
 
Oh god yes, Bo would be stroking out on the sidelines with play like this.

Just another note, I suspect they lose a player or two who decide to transfer. Maybe Gard can find a JUCO or graduate transfer to add some experience and depth to the 9 man rotation. I think next year will be his "audition" year for his coaching job and next contract.
 
I have a sneaking suspicion that the Badgers will end up with Tony Bennett coming to Wisconsin from Virginia, after next year.

I was all for giving Gard a shot at this, and I think he did a solid job when he had players that were mature, and knew what their jobs were, on the court. They'd already started their mission under Bo, and it didn't change. I guess Gard may have been nothing more than a "caretaker" for the team that Bo had recruited.

After watching them play Maryland today, I came away shaking my head at how "dumb" they get at the most crucial points of a game. They made a run, got back in it, and took the lead. Then Gard started tinkering with his lineup, and it slipped out the back.

One more year with Gard, and I think we see Tony Bennett coming to Madison. He was my first choice anyhow. I think what he's done with Virginia shows it. He has Wisconsin history too.
 
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