Wisconsin Coach Greg Gard Shares Thoughts On NCAA Matchup With BYU
Mar 21, 2025, 6:24 PM | Updated: 8:00 pm
DENVER – For only the third time, BYU basketball will square off against Wisconsin.
The last time BYU faced Wisconsin was in 2011. A nonconference game in an MTE (Multi-Team Event) in nearby Chicago.
Before the 2011 meeting, the Cougars and Badgers met in 1931. Safe to say, these two programs haven’t crossed paths much.
Greg Gard on crossing paths with BYU basketball
The same goes for Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard, who is in his 10th year as the headman of the Badgers.
Before being elevated to head coach, he was an assistant for 15 years on the Badgers bench. He’s also had stops at other Wisconsin schools such as Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
“I was an assistant at that time (2011 meeting). That’s the only time,” said Gard on Friday to reporters.
“I’ve never crossed paths with Kevin Young. He had a different track in his career through the NBA and G League. “Obviously, you can definitely tell he’s worked his way to where he is. He’s put a lot of time in unpopular places. He hasn’t had the complete in terms of where he’s coached and what he’s had to do.”
Gard’s Wisconsin program is looking for their first appearance in the Sweet 16 since 2017. BYU hasn’t been to the second weekend of the “Big Dance” since 2011.
While the similarities are there for lack of recent advances to the second weekend, what about on the court? Gard was asked if there are any teams in the Big Ten that BYU reminds him of.
Wisconsin coach Greg Gard on teams in the Big Ten that remind him of BYU:
“Ourselves, for one.”
He added, “Illinois a little bit. Illinois shoots a lot of threes. … The thrust and pace they play with is similar to Michigan State.” pic.twitter.com/DhEDV6AUfv
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 22, 2025
“Ourselves, for one,” Gard said with a smile. “No, they’re impressive. I’ve seen a little bit of them throughout the year. Obviously sometimes it’s later night in the Midwest, a little different time zone. Illinois a little bit. Illinois shoots a lot of threes. Jakucionis, their point guard, is very similar to Demin. Big, really good in the ball screens. I think BYU may even have more shooters than Illinois.
“There’s different traits or pieces as we go throughout our league. The thrust and pace they play with is similar to Michigan State.”
What type of game are we going to see on Saturday?
In a game with similar profiles, as both teams boast two of the best offenses in college basketball, Gard was asked what type of game we should expect to see in the Round of 32.
“Probably be 50 to 48, one of those,” said Gard while smiling.
“No, I mean, basketball, the game, it’s not overcomplicated. Let’s not overcomplicate the game. It’s still about trying to get high-quality shots. If you can get the good ones early, great. If not, they do a good job of spreading the floor, running a lot of middle ball screens with Demin and with (Dallin) Hall, obviously (Richie) Saunders and (Trevin) Knell.
“Then obviously (Keba) Keita inside, (Fousseyni) Traore, the others. We’re going to have to guard them well. They’ll hopefully guard us well, or maybe they — hopefully, they don’t guard us well.
“They change some defenses a little bit, do a little three-quarter court pressure. But it’s still, at the end of the day, not overcomplicating the game. I think the game is, at times, over-coached and under-taught. For us it’s always about keeping it simple, being fundamentally sound on both ends.
“That can still be the case even if you play with a little more tempo and faster pace. You can still be fundamentally sound. We’re going to need to be tomorrow.”
BYU vs. Wisconsin
Second Round – 2025 NCAA Tournament
Location: Denver, Colorado
Arena: Ball Arena
Tip-Off: 5:45 p.m. (MDT)
TV: CBS
Radio: KSL NewsRadio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM in Utah) — Extended pregame begins at Noon
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
