Gard: ‘We were never where we needed to be all year’ defensively

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 19: head coach Greg Gard of the Wisconsin Badgers stands on the sideline during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Moda Center on March 19, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) | NCAA Photos via Getty Images The Wisconsin Badgers saw one of their more memorable seasons in recent years come to an abrupt end, as they lost to the High Point Panthers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on a go-ahead layup.

It was a brutal end to a season that had its ups and downs, as the Badgers were riding hot going into the tournament. It was also one of the more enjoyable teams in recent years for the fanbase, with Wisconsin scoring the third-most points per game in program history. However, it’s now back to the drawing board for the Badgers, who have a lot of questions to answer when it comes to retention and attacking the transfer portal with their current roster.

Last week, head coach Greg Gard went on the Mike Heller Show, where he talked about this year’s team and how the season ended. “Yeah, I think there’s no doubt in that specific instance in that game, you know, they beat us,” Gard said about the High Point loss. “I felt they did, between the threes they made and some other plays and some shots we didn’t make.

“And I think the one thing, Mike, I’ve tried to keep in perspective, I know everyone on the outside gets caught up on what the name on the front of the jersey says on who you’re playing at this time of year. And when you look at the rosters, the age of guys, where they’ve been, those type of things. When you got a team that’s won 31 games, they’ve obviously had a terrific year and were a very experienced group.