Wisconsin Players Scramble to Buy "Greg Gard. Silent Assassin" T-Shirt

MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard feels there are better things to spend $30 on than a shirt with his likeness on it. His players and support staff strongly disagree with him.

Fresh off his 17 points in Wisconsin’s 79-71 victory over Rutgers Sunday afternoon, junior Nate Reuvers took his place on the dais wearing a red shirt with the words "Greg Gard. Silent Assassin" laid over a graphic of his head coach in his typical crouch position with his left pointer finger pressed to his lips, likely to silence his critics.

“I mean, Coach Gard's a killer, so I had to get this shirt,” Reuvers said. “As soon as I saw it, just boom, just bought it.”

Reuvers isn’t the only one with the fashion sense. Micah Potter – sitting next to him after scoring 18 points – bemoaned the fact that Brad Davison got his shirt and he is still waiting daily by the mailbox for his.

The phrase has been around for four years, tweeted initially CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein after Wisconsin’s upset win over No.2 Maryland. Rothstein – who also came up with the phrase “Death. Taxes. Bo Ryan.” – has got good mileage out of his Gard saying this month with the Badgers winning four of their last five.

Earlier this month, those words with Gard’s image because a part of Rothstein's "Play the Hits" T-shirt collection.

When asked his thoughts about being labeled as assassin, the ever-modest Gard made sure to say he had nothing to do with the idea.

“It's comic relief for somebody,” said Gard, who added that the student manager all wore them in practice the other day. “Just can't have anybody get their picture taken and have their picture up in the post office or something like that or a wanted sign. So, if you're wearing that shirt, don't do anything illegal.”

Sunday’s victory over Rutgers put Wisconsin in tie for second place with Penn State, Iowa and Michigan State with four games remaining. Gard has coached Wisconsin to a mark of 97-57 (.630) in his five seasons at the helm, including a mark of 55-35 (.611) in Big Ten play. His conference winning percentage ranks seventh among Big Ten coaches with at least 50 wins over the last 40 years, trailing Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan, Indiana’s Bob Knight, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Maryland’s Mark Turgeon, Ohio State’s Thad Matta and Purdue’s Matt Painter.

It’s a record that might prompt the players to add to their head coach’s wardrobe.

“We need to get Coach Gard one,” Potter said. “Have him wear one. That’d be sweet.”