The Big Ten Tournament ending on Sunday afternoon and the NCAA Tournament starting on Thursday has been a big point of conversation this week. Wisconsin played four games in four days, while Michigan played three games in three days, and both teams looked gassed in the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Then the NCAA bracket was revealed, and Wisconsin found out they were playing on Thursday, remarkably one of the first games on Thursday. It felt to many fans as a bad draw for a team that needed to recover.
Wisconsin's Head Coach, Greg Gard, initially said that it was "something they were in conversations with the conference about." He then said that the two final teams should get a Friday first-round match-up instead of a Thursday. He has now found a silver lining.
The Wisconsin Badgers play the Montana Grizzlies on Thursday, March 20 at 12:30 CT.
In his press conference this week, he found a silver lining in the quick turnaround: "I think quick turn, go play. Don't dwell on, 'Hey, we got to the championship game, and we didn't get it done.' Now go on to the next, we get to play in another one." In other words, the rapid shift from one tournament to another allows them to do a quick flush and reset toward a new goal. There's no time to dwell; there's a new goal and a new challenge.
This is a typical calling card for Greg Gard. He's not a complaining coach. When other coaches, like Mick Cronin, complain about travel, Greg Gard has been known to say, "Just tell us where to play, and we will play." This positive attitude is going to be key to the quick turnaround. When it could have easily been deflating and defeating, Gard has spun it as a good thing.
"The juice we had today in practice, how they've approached it...I have a mature group too. They understand, you turn the page. "Greg Gard