MADISON, Wis. – Having been a part of 21 Big Ten Tournament, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard has seen a little bit of everything from the Badgers.
There have been runs of success with three championships and seven title game appearances, as well as first-round disappointments. The only thing consistent in his eyes is the approach needed to win multiple games in multiple days.
“You have to take care of the one at hand first, and sometimes (that) gets lost in the discussion,” he said Tuesday. “You talk about four games in a row, you have to take care of day one first. It’s really about focusing on the opponent at hand and not deviating from who you are, trying to continue to accentuate all the things you’ve done well and be consistent with those.”
Preparing for an unknown opponent has been nothing new for Gard and his staff in the conference tournament, having had a bye for three of the past four seasons. What’s unique this time is the short turnaround.
The Badgers (19-12) will play the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between No.12 Maryland and No.13 Rutgers, a game that tips out at 5:30 p.m. CT. By the time Wisconsin knows who they will play, it will have around 18 hours before tipping off as the second game on Thursday afternoon (1:30 p.m./BTN).
“I feel like we’re in a really good spot going into the postseason, both mentally and physically,” senior Tyler Wahl said. “I know a lot of guys might be a little dinged up right now … but we got some time to rest and prepare, so here we go.”
Fortunately for UW, the Badgers have seen both teams in the past three weeks with successful home results. Wisconsin put four players in double figures in a 74-70 victory over Maryland on February 20 and did the same in a 78-66 victory against Rutgers on March 7.
The scout report is also similar. Maryland (65.7 ppg) and Rutgers (66.6) rank first and third in the league in scoring defense and possess an all-conference rim protector with the Terrapins’ Julian Reese and the Scarlet Knights’ Clifford Omoruyi.
“They’ve all played in tournament environments before, whether it’s here or in high school,” Gard said. “Quite simply, you have to win and advance, or you don’t get to advance. The parity in college basketball (is) anybody can beat anybody, so you just try to play the best 40 minutes you can.”
The good news for Wisconsin is the Badgers should begin the postseason healthy. Chucky Hepburn (head) was held out of Tuesday’s practice, but a UW official said he’s expected to play. Guard Max Klesmit (lower body) practiced after appearing less than 100 percent in Sunday’s 78-70 loss at No.3 Purdue.
Reserve Kamari McGee (toe) continues to make progress after returning to the rotation on March 7 and freshman John Blackwell – who was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team – looks like a different player offensively as he gets further away from the hip injury suffered February 4.
“I don’t know if anyone predicted this level, to be on the all-freshman team,” Gard said of Blackwell. “What I saw two summers ago, just watching him in AAU, his defensive awareness and IQ, you could tell that he was going to play right away … He was sheltered by some other really good players on his high school team. Maybe he didn’t have the same kind of opportunities that he’s had here, and he’s taken advantage of them. He’s just so efficient, understands how to play the game.”
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