UW’s Gard appreciates extra day of rest

MINNEAPOLIS – Wisconsin coach Greg Gard loved one facet of his team’s first-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament.

The Badgers (22-13), seeded No. 5 in the South Regional, open at 8:40 p.m. CT Friday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn against No. 12 James Madison (31-3).

“I’m happy that we got Friday,” he said, alluding to physical issues that have affected several of his players.

Forward Tyler Wahl has been battling a knee injury. Chucky Hepburn sat out UW’s Big Ten tournament quarterfinal game against Northwestern because of a knee issue. Guard John Blackwell has been slowed by an ankle injury and was scoreless in 11 minutes of play Sunday in the loss to Illinois in the title game.

“Everybody needs it,” he said of the extra day of rest/prep teams gain by not opening Thursday. “We just played four games in four days.

“Even I need it.”

Greg Gard has lobbied that the Big Ten finalists, who play on Sunday, should not open the NCAAs on a Thursday

“Illinois has to play Thursday,” he said. “The teams that play on Sunday should not be in a Thursday bracket. It’s not just the Big Ten. The SEC. The Atlantic 10.”

Does Gard ever envision the day the Big Ten finishes its tournament on a Saturday?

“That has been talked about,” he said. “But with TV and the Big Ten leading right into the selection show, you know what drives the train.

“It’s not Coach Gard’s opinion, I’ll tell you that.”

Badgers played in the Barclays Center in 2019

UW played in the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center in the 2019-20 season.

The Badgers suffered a 62-52 loss to Richmond on Nov. 25 and suffered a 5950 loss to New Mexico the next night.

Transfer Micah Potter wasn’t yet eligible and the Badgers shot poorly in both games.

They hit just 7 of 27 three-pointers (25.9%) and 17 of 50 shots overall (34.0%) in the loss to Richmond and hit just 2 of 26 three-pointers (7.7%) and 18 of 53 shots overall (34.0%) in the loss to New Mexico.

UW’s two-game totals: 9 of 43 threepointers (20.9%) and 35 of 103 shots overall (34.0%).

The losses left the Badgers 4-3 but they eventually added Potter to the lineup and won their last eight Big Ten games to finish 14-6 in the league for a share of the title and 21-10 overall.

UW didn’t play in the league tournament or the NCAA Tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That team turned out to be pretty good,” Gard said.

DAVID BERDING / GETTY IMAGES Chucky Hepburn gets a hug from teammate Connor Essegian after his buzzer-beater in regulation sent UW's Big Ten semifinal game against Purdue into overtime on Saturday.