The Badgers head coach is firmly in the mix to be the coach of the year.
The Wisconsin Badgers have been one of college basketball’s biggest surprises this season, taking over the Big Ten with a 21-5 record and 11-4 start in conference play.
That has led the team to the No. 11 ranking in the AP Top 25, as well as a top-10 rank in KenPom, while bracketologists have Wisconsin around a No. 2 seed at the moment, which would be their highest in recent memory.
All of this has come after one of the busiest offseasons for the Badgers, where they saw seven players depart and brought in six new faces via their freshman class and the transfer portal.
Transfer guard John Tonje has exploded into one of the best players in the country, averaging 19.6 points on 48.5 percent from the field and 41.1 percent from three in a career year.
However, it’s been a strong complementary approach for Wisconsin, which has averaged 82 points per game this season. That would be the program’s highest total since the 1970-71 season.
So, for the accumulation of talent and the revitalization of the team’s offense, it’s no surprise that Badgers head coach Greg Gard has been named to the 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s College Coach of the Year Watch List.
Gard is one of 15 coaches to earn national recognition with the honor, and it’s the second time in four years that he has appeared on the late-season list, with the last time coming back during the 2022 season.
But, there is a legitimate argument for Gard to win Coach of the Year, as the Badgers have exceeded expectations, having been picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten by the preseason polls.
Now seen as a No. 2 seed by many bracketologists, the Badgers are one of the hottest teams over the past two months, having gone 11-2 since the new year, with wins over the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini in the past week.
Gard and the Badgers will look to continue adding to their resume with a win over the Oregon Ducks on Saturday at home. Tip-off is set for 11:00 am at the Kohl Center.