The Wisconsin Badgers misplaced to the James Madison Dukes 72-61 within the first spherical of the NCAA Match, exiting early as soon as once more in March.
After the sport, head coach Greg Gard spoke with the media, breaking down his group’s efforts within the disappointing loss.
Opening Assertion
GREG GARD: To begin with, congrats to James Madison. Much more spectacular in particular person than they had been on movie, and I used to be actually impressed with them on movie. I believed their stress bothered us, particularly within the first half, clearly with 13 turnovers, they actually obtained after us. We didn’t deal with it exceptionally nicely, and once we did, we weren’t in a position to end at occasions across the rim and missed some straightforward photographs.
However how this group battled again within the second half to get it again to 6. When you have got 13 turnovers and shoot 26 % within the first half, you’ve actually dug your self a gap, however this group has had no stop in all of them 12 months. And, , to have it again to 6 twice, and photographs to get it nearer, they’ve given the whole lot they’d and left it on the market on the ground.
So actually happy with, clearly Tyler being our solely senior, what he’s given to this program and these guys to my left, I by no means needed to coach effort, and once you don’t have to teach effort, you possibly can have a number of good issues occur, which this group has achieved. So that is going to sting for fairly a while as a result of we felt we might clearly play higher, however we’ll take up it and we’ll proceed to maneuver on.
Q. You talked about Tyler being a senior, however a number of this group returned from final 12 months. How powerful is that this loss, particularly given the momentum you guys had coming from the Huge Ten Match?
GREG GARD: Nicely, any time you get thus far within the 12 months, any loss goes to be powerful since you scrap and claw, and you’re employed all 12 months to get your self into this match. After which as we’ve seen with all the opposite video games occurring, you have got 40 minutes, and in case you have a foul phase of that 40 like we had a foul 20, and then you definitely’re taking part in uphill like we did.
Yeah, it burns since you put lots into this. This wasn’t simply — you weren’t making ready for this only for 4 days after Choice Sunday. You’ve been working in the direction of this since final June. These guys have poured lots into it and also you’ve seen the tears and the emotion, as a result of it means lots and so they have dedicated and sacrificed lots to offer to this group.
Q. You talked about you missed some photographs on the rim. Does the stress result in speeding these photographs, you assume?
GREG GARD: I imply, sport stress is actual. You’re not going to disclaim that. However I believed their physicality prompted us to show the ball over early, after which I felt we additionally rushed generally when the turnovers had been coming due to the physicality. We had some unforced errors the place we obtained sped up, threw the ball away.
And sure, we didn’t end across the rim. We had some fairly point-blank appears and even we don’t shoot the free throw line in addition to we did. I believed offensively, particularly within the first half — defensively, we held them underneath a degree per possession within the first half. It was simply 13 turnovers and capturing 26 %. That’s fairly futile once you shoot that low.
Normally, should you flip the ball over lots, at the least you shoot it higher as a result of the photographs you’re don’t get, you’re throwing it away so it doesn’t depend in opposition to you. However we had a double-whammy within the first half.
Q. You mentioned in your opening assertion that you just take up this and transfer on. What does that seem like? If you don’t make the match one 12 months and also you don’t win it the subsequent, do you have got to have a look within the mirror and check out to determine how one can get this program again to the place you need it?
GREG GARD: Nicely, I imply, you play by this and also you’re in a one-game playoff so something can occur. This group wished to win a Huge Ten Championship. We didn’t get there. We obtained all the way in which to the end line final week in Minneapolis, and so they didn’t get that one. They usually wished to win and advance on this.
So in a 40-minute sport, should you don’t play nicely, like I’ve mentioned 100 occasions, you’re going to go residence. So for us, we fought turnovers and shot choice all 12 months, and people sins got here again to get us once more tonight, extra turnovers than possibly ever. This could be our highest turnover sport all 12 months. In all probability is.
However these issues, that’s why you battle all 12 months and train and coach, to not have that state of affairs the place you don’t flip the ball over and also you don’t take unhealthy photographs, and you utilize all these classes throughout the 12 months to get thus far so that you don’t have that occur.
A variety of that is credit score to James Madison, too. As these guys mentioned, we haven’t seen a group actually come at us and we knew they’d. All people that we talked to that performed them mentioned they’ll come at you and they’ll foul you, and it’s going to be bodily and they’ll attain and seize. And also you’ve obtained to have the ability to deal with it, and we didn’t at first of the sport.
Like I mentioned, 13 turnovers in 36 possessions within the first half is a recipe for catastrophe, however this group discovered a technique to claw again and located a technique to maintain the ball higher within the second half. The issue was the opening was too deep that we had dug.
Q. In right this moment’s period of the switch portal, you most likely needed to do a number of re-recruiting of fellows final 12 months. Do you count on to have just a few this low season and what’s your pitch to those guys to return again one other 12 months?
GREG GARD: We’re quarter-hour after the top of sport, so I don’t know. They don’t know. I imply, we see the world we’re in. We’ll have conversations. A variety of guys, all however Tyler, have an choice to return again, and there can be different choices, I’m certain. If guys need to take a look at the waters within the draft or get suggestions. We haven’t had these conversations but. We’re so uncooked after the top of the sport.
And like I mentioned, you simply have a look at the panorama, that’s the setting we’re in. So it’s important to cope with it and put together. It might go 100 alternative ways. However this core is basically good. They’re actually tight. That locker room, it’s fairly emotional proper now and that informed me, or tells me — it’s not the primary time I’ve seen an emotional locker room, however that tells me they’re right here for the correct causes.
They’re right here for that, and so they did a very good job of representing the entrance of that jersey. However we’re in a distinct period. There’s a number of particular person decisions that individuals have.
Q. This was your sixth match look. You’ve had a pair first-round exits, second-round exits, and also you’ve been to the Candy 16. The place does this loss, by way of how a lot it stings, given how nicely your group carried out, how does this rank in comparison with the remainder?
GREG GARD: I don’t evaluate years as a result of each group is completely different into itself. In ‘13, we obtained blown out by Arizona and within the first spherical, and we flip round and go to the Remaining 4 the subsequent 12 months. I don’t like evaluating years as a result of the gamers are completely different. The momentum by a season is completely different. Your season ebbs and flows otherwise. This one stinks as a result of this group has put lots into it and so they had actually excessive targets, and had performed very well.
You understand, like I mentioned, we didn’t play nicely tonight, and this isn’t a seven-game sequence. So you place your greatest hand on the market, and if it’s not ok, you go residence.