Wisconsin was supposed to be one of the sleeper teams in this year's tournament and a darkhorse to go as far as the Final Four. Instead, the Badgers are heading home after a 83-82 loss to High Point.
It's the second time in the past three years that the Badgers have lost in the first round and Wisconsin has only reached the second week of the tournament twice in 10-plus seasons under Greg Gard, with the last Sweet 16 appearance coming in 2017. Gard's solemn comments after the game did little to ease the pain of another early exit.
"That's the heartache that comes with this tournament, the team plays exceptionally well and you get sent home when you don't take care of things you need to take care of." Gard said."
The Badgers led 41-39 at halftime and got the lead to as many as eight in the second half behind the efforts of Nick Boyd, but they could not shake High Point, who continued to find baskets when they needed them. The Badgers had no answers for the Panthers' three-point specialist Chase Johnson, who hit multiple big shots down the stretch and scored the game-winning basket, ironically on a lay-up (his first two-pointer of the year) with 11.2 seconds left.
Fans continue to rip Greg Gard after another early tournament exit
Wisconsin fans can be pretty easy going at times, especially when compared to other rabid fanbases, but this latest loss to High Point seems to be the breaking point with many of them when it comes to their feelings about Gard.
Greg Gard in March:
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 19, 2026
2026 - L in R64 (5 Seed)❌
2025 - L in R32 (3 Seed)❌
2024 - L in R64 (5 Seed)❌
2023 - Missed NCAAT❌
2022 - L in R32 (3 Seed)❌
2021 - L in R32 (9 Seed)
2020 - Cancelled
2019 - L in R64 (5 Seed)❌
2018 - Missed NCAAT❌
2017 - L in S16 (8 Seed)✅ pic.twitter.com/pbrTS86kzc
Wisconsin will forever be a first or second round exit as long as Greg Gard is still the coach.
— Joey Wolfram (@JDub2016) March 19, 2026
Given the sample size we have now, I think its fair to say Greg Gard is the worst March Madness coach in history. Who else has been upset this often with this large of seed differential. Every. Single. Year.
— Kyle Banta (@kbanta11) March 19, 2026
Death. Taxes. Greg Gard getting bounced by a double digit seed.
Greg Gard has lost the last 4 tournament appearances by a lower seed. 3 of those 4 loses have been by a double digit seed. The last three times the badgers were a 5 seed, they lost to the 12 seed…… at this point it’s a trend. #FireGard
— Wesley Taylor (@WesleyTaylor718) March 19, 2026
It might be time to have a conversation about Greg Gard
— Matthew S. (@MatthewMKE98) March 19, 2026
How do you constantly come in unprepared in previous years
How do you come in once again unprepared against high point and give the team their first win EVER in the NCAA tournament
I’m sick to my stomach
At this point, you have to think it's a mental block more than anything else. Gard has shown that he can get Wisconsin to a point of playing good basketball going into the tournament and that was the case again this season with the Badgers advancing to the semifinals of the Big Ten conference tournament and getting a win over Illinois in the process. But his inability to win in the national tournament is a narrative that he hasn't been able to shake over the past decade.