Gard reflected on the Badgers major win in the season opener.
The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Holy Cross Crusaders 85-61 in the season opener, coming back from a slow start for a 24-point victory to start off the year strong.
Head coach Greg Gard took to the podium following the win, pointing out where the team needs to improve, while praising the second half effort and the way they responded.
Here’s everything Gard said following the game.
OPENING STATEMENT: Obviously you guys watched the game, so I don’t know if I have to go into too much detail of the flow of it, but I thought, you know, I thought after that first 10 minutes or so, defensively got better. Kamari McGee was a big part of that in terms of his ball pressure and ability to get through ball screens. And then John Tonje obviously attacking the rim and getting to the free throw line got us going. And second half, I thought we were better defensively, and hopefully that as you go through a season you, you grow from half to half and this group understands obviously I think we can score.
How we continue to grow defensively will be extremely important. But there’s some good things out there that Nolan Winter really played pretty well. He’s starting to come into his own a little bit and thought he did some good things. So we’ll look through the tape and I’m sure I’ll learn more from it. Obviously, Warren was labeled as a non-shooter in our scouting report, so that went out the window after the third one. But just defensively not finishing in the paint or missing wide-open threes and then having them come and transition there early to get some confidence and obviously, he felt confident.
But I like how we responded and battled back and got grew, grew defensively as the game wore on and I think wore them down significantly. So we have a long ways to go. But I liked the response when things weren’t going well early.
On the defensive intensity change…
GARD: Yeah, that was important and we talked about that. You know, we had drawn six or seven fouls on them, but I always judge [defensive] physicality on how many fouls we have and we didn’t have.
We had two. So I said, ‘hey, we gotta be more physical, crank it up, get into them more.’ So, you know, as we did that, we were able to get them back on their heels a little bit and, you know, shut off the hot start that they had had. So it was important. Ball pressure. It starts with ball pressure. Obviously, Kam [McGee] is good because he’s built low to the ground and quick and physical and can get up and get under guys and then other guys kind of fed off of that Max [Klesmit] and [John] Tonje is still learning what defense needs to be at this here, but some better things as time went on.
On deflections with the team’s length…
GARD: You hope so. If there are breakdowns, I mean, we got beat baseline a couple times and either over-rotated and didn’t cover, didn’t sink and gave up some drift passes for threes once we got a moderate transition. But I think when there is a breakdown, yeah, I mean, we have some length. I think that’s one of the strengths of this team.
We can not only hit the four and the five, but, you know, we can mix and match and obviously, John Tonje is a pretty big wing, so a lot of versatility with it that I’m still learning those, you know, who’s 7, 8, 9. I thought Xavier [Amos] did some good things. Even Marcus [Illver]. He’s practiced well. I wanted to get him in sooner, but, you know, the defensive stability that Gilmore gives us, he’s an anchor that I can count on defensively until we get the ship righted, so to speak. I trust him on that end of the floor.
On if there was an effort to attack after early missed 3s…
GARD: Yeah. And that’s what I talked about with between that attacking the rim, getting in the free throw line. We got, I think we had four or five guys with two fouls, so we got some guys to the bench. And then that coincided with us defensively becoming more aggressive, more physical into the ball more, and we were able to push them out and get them on their heels.
On if Gard was expecting more of a roller coaster this season…
GARD: Yeah, I think you look across college basketball. I’m watching a little bit of Purdue, Texas A&M Corpus Christi earlier tonight, and, you know, it’s just early and I think they’ve got some familiar faces, but they’ve also got to go through some re-establishing roles. And I think we all go through it in some way, shape or form specifically, probably even more so in today’s world just because of the transient nature of everybody’s roster that you’re learning on the fly and you’re having to grow on the fly.
You know, a set all-returning team and hit the ground running, I don’t know if there are any. We’ll see as time goes on. But, I think if you just focus on the simple things, and specifically for us, offense will take care of itself. You know, we’ll schematically move people around and get them in their strengths and their wheelhouses. But defensively, the identity of this group and most, most of them know it and understand it and it’s a matter of, you know, it’s got to be there all the time.
And when we don’t have it, can we get somebody off the bench comes in and gives us a spark and changes the tide of the game, which we were able to do tonight and get some momentum going. But [as I] said, I don’t like the start. I like the response, but I didn’t obviously didn’t like the start. And, it’s a good lesson for us right up front here.
On if the team could change up the starting lineup…
GARD: No. I think obviously I have people in position I felt have given us the best chance and been the most consistent. In terms of Kam McGee’s position, he gives us a heck of a boost off the bench like he did tonight. I think that’s the only one that I’ve jockeyed back and forth. You know, our first scrimmage I started him, second one I didn’t. But, he still, I mean that for what he did tonight. Four assists, one turnover. And I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a plus, not that I really marry myself to the plus-minus, but plus 35, I don’t know if I’ve seen that on a box score before. So just he impacts the game. You saw it tonight, how he was able to and having somebody like that can. And I can plug him in different places and I can plug him for other people and we played small for a while.
You know, I had Tonje at the four and Gilmore a little bit at the five when we went smaller. So I think he allows me to move people up and down the lineup even though maybe I don’t sub him for a point guard per se. I can sub him for one of the bigs and we change the look and mobility of us across the front line. So it’s really an as what’s needed basis, I think is what I look at and I don’t get consumed with who’s starting. They understand they all have a role.
And what I talked to them about before the game today was never has there been more of an importance and how vital it is for a group of guys to come together as a team. And in today’s era, when there’s the movement, there’s going to be talent on every roster and you’re going to see talented teams that maybe don’t come together, and all their thoughts, all their actions, I want them focused on what’s best for our team. And there’s going to be nights when individual’s talent has to come to the forefront and that will happen. But I think that’s the biggest challenge right now we face as coaches across the country is when you have to hit restart, so to speak, how can you get that? You know, we’ve seen the history of here.
We’ve had guys here four years, five years, you know, sitting in the incubator crock pot, just waiting, you know, and we’re in a different world. So the challenge with that is how do you get the chemistry and the togetherness to be at the forefront of their goals and their vision and you have to have unselfish people? That’s how you start with that. And so that, that was my main message to him tonight. As we go on this journey over the next five, five and a half months, whatever it is, we have to be together because it’s going to be different people and different nights and who starts. In my mind, I’ve never talked about or made a big deal of who is starting. I’ve subbed quick and I’ve subbed deep into the first part of the before the first media [timeout]. So, everybody knows they need to be ready.
On how the team can get more intensity from their starting 5 to begin…
GARD: Well, that’s a player driven thing, you know, part of it. Let’s give credit to the players from Holy Cross that made shots too. You know, there was, there were some things defensively we didn’t do, but they took advantage of it. So I don’t want to completely pin it all and not give them credit because [Gabe] Warren was able to make some shots and I thought we did a decent job. Yeah, really good job on [Joe] Nugent who led that league in three-point shooting. Really good job on [Caleb] Kenney. So, you know, other than the start and I think this is for a guy like Nolan Winter guarding, that’s probably our fault for labeling him a non-shooter because he hadn’t made threes. That wasn’t what he’d done in his career. So he took advantage of it. But it’s good for Nolan too, ‘hey, this okay, he hit one. Now we, we’ve got to go play him.’
And then he caught us in transition a couple times where [we’re] off to see who could have matched with him. But he’s not the first guy you identify with when you’re coming in transition. We’re running a Nugent, we’re running some of these other guys. So it’s part of learning and, and growing as the game goes on. I thought we did a better job, you know, later identifying him and we threw the, like I said, the non-shooter on the report got trashed midway through the first half.
So just coming out and establishing ourselves better, even on the offensive end, I think that’ll help set the tone better. And if I need to mix and match lineups, I’m not always ever opposed to doing that, but just starting better, starting faster. And that’s what this group has got to figure out. What are the key things and what are teams trying to do? They double this in a different way tonight. Not that we didn’t catch us by surprise, but it was until we got to make some shots behind it, behind those double teams, too, and that’ll change the course of a game. So, that’s why it’s a team sport. You’re dependent on all individuals to come in and contribute whenever they get their opportunity.
On Isaac Gard’s first career points…
GARD: Yeah. I mean, it’s a credit to him. He’s put time into it. He’s made himself a better player. He’s gotten bigger and stronger. It’s amazing what a weight room four days a week will do for somebody, and I think the thing that, you know, I’m sitting there as I’m getting or standing there. I’m trying to get guys in the game. And I knew the shot clock was winding down a little bit, and just the reaction of his teammates, you know, because to them, yeah, he’s coach’s son, but he’s one of the guys and they know at home he’s my son, but in practice, he’s one of the guys, you know, and so it’s neat.
It’s obviously cool for him, I’m sure. I don’t think his mom was at the game tonight, so I’m sure she’ll be pissed at me for her not being here to see it live. But no, you always, for those moments, you know, he puts in just as much work as anybody else. He’s in the weight room, he’s running the hill, and it’s hard. It’s hard being a coach’s kid. And what, I haven’t been able to be present all the time as he was growing up and our other two kids as well. To have this time with him day after day is, you know, you’re not making up for time. But I didn’t want to lose any more time.
And he’s also proven he’s a handful some days when he’s running off screens and banging threes and, you know, he gives John Tonje nightmares at times if he gets loose and he gets one going a little bit. I know you guys were in practice one day when he went bananas. You know, he starts feeling it. He just lets him fly. And just the team around him, that’s the neat part to watch how they are happy for him. And I’m happy for him, too. And, you know, the time goes fast, so you have to enjoy it, because you won’t be able to coach your son forever.