Wisconsin Badgers

I would like to start this thread up again for anyone who is interested in discussing the Badgers. In the future, I hope that the moderators will remove posts from antagonistic people, rather than removing this thread all together. Otherwise, antagonists will be able to remove any thread they want to. So, let's keep things good natured and civil when we talk about the Badgers.

College athletics went from bad to worse. I never liked the fact that the coach that recruited you could leave but you couldn't leave without sitting a year. Now the players have more power than the coaches. Know lot of people weren't crazy about Wahl's time at Wisconsin. There will never be another Tyler. There will never be another player that comes in as a Freshman and leaves as a Senior. The only way I see a way of fixing this is the NCAA finally considers athletes as employees and they sign a contract. Give the players an opt out under certain situations like the coach leaving or the program under probation or worse. 

This really belongs on a different thread, but I'm not a fan of NIL's and all the transfers.  I wish college basketball players were playing basketball while getting an education.  I now half the players wouldn't be playing basketball in college then, but it never excites me watching a guy playing basketball to only get paid and not care about his education.  Now, the WIAA is voting on whether or not high school players can get NIL's!  Come one, really???

I hope it's not another 5 years of mediocrity.  And only making the NCAA Tournament 2 or 3 times and not making it to the second weekend of the tournament, like it has been.

Granted, NIL money has greatly changed college basketball and I can't lay all the blame at Gard's feet.  He's a good coach, but he's not a great coach.

I want UW mens basketball to be better than just good!  And take this program to the next level = competing for Big Ten regular season titles every year and competing for national titles regularly.  Maybe I'm expecting too much?  Go Bucky!

Well seems UW agrees with me. Gard got extended.

The majority of college players never make it to the pro circuits. They can make more $$$$ jumping from school to school. Rumor has it Kansas upped the offer for Storr to 850k. Rumor also has it Chucky is going to Louisville for 700k. Chucky made 200k as a Badger last year. It is all about the 💰 and you can't blame the players or the coach. Coaches been jumping to better jobs with bigger contracts forever.

Everyone is on Gard about losing players. Duke is down seven players!  Chunky reportedly getting $500,000 in NIL and might be a package deal with his high school teammate. Wisc has NIL money but not $1/2 million for Chucky who never even made 1st 2nd or 3rd all Big Ten Teams. 

Storr also averaged 8 more minuets per game last year and was another year older and experienced.  Wahl had better stats in both his third season and 4th season than he did his 5th season.  We'll agree to diagree?

For the Gard can't or doesn't develop players people. Storr went form averaging 9pts 2 Reb game at St. Johns to avg 17pts 4 reb for Wisconsin. Storr got a pay day and Gard gets to find his replacement.

I agree about the cash making players move and u could be spot on about Chuckie.  But what are players supposed to say when asked about their coach?  Smart people don't burn bridges.

Lot of these players will be seeing a huge decrease in pay when they are playing overseas 

My opinion is that UW would be well served to move on from Gard. Having said that, he had zero to do with Hepburn transferring. Hepburn is a high/average, low/good level player. He's never going to play in the NBA. He's probably not athletic enough for the the G league. He'll have to put together a career overseas. He found some program willing to pay him what he was looking for, and he took it. In his situation, it's all about the bag. 

Cash is king nowdays. Chuckle and Gard got along great. Chuckle has said this many times. I bet all the teams that are ranked 15-50 are in the same situation as the Badgers with players. It's happening in football also.

Jarred Bereggen take and I agree. If you think this is about the coach and not the money you aren't paying attention. 

"If every Badger fan that complained about transfers and called for Gard to be fired contributed to the Varsity Collective we would be able to afford Chucky and Storr 10x over. 

Gard has lost control of the UW mens basketball program.  Sigh.

It was a good run with Bennett, Ryan, and Gard, but I'm afraid it's over........

Chuckie Hepburn now in the portal. Fiddler delayed his announcement, doubt he’s coming to Wisconsin…wonder if they are going to be a package deal together, at a school not named Wisconsin. ​Good friends from what I’ve read.