Lucas: Badgers prepare next for Mean Green in Vegas
March 23, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Mike Lucas
Wisconsin will take strategic approach for NIT semifinals and beyond
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – Some 90 minutes into Wednesday's three-hour-plus charter flight from Eugene, Oregon – where the night before Wisconsin had outlasted the Ducks to advance to Las Vegas and the NIT semifinals – Greg Gard piloted a brief meeting on the plane with some of his staff members.
Joining him were Marc VandeWettering, the Director of Basketball Operations; Jim Snider, the basketball strength and conditioning coordinator; and Joe Krabbenhoft, the associate head coach who has the scouting assignment for next Tuesday's opponent, the North Texas Mean Green.
"We're really being very cautious and strategic on how we approach these next few days,'' said Gard who notched his fifth 20-win season with a hard-earned 61-58 comeback victory at Oregon.
Since 2003, the Badgers have now won at least 20 games in 18 of the last 21 seasons.
"We've just played two games in 48 hours (the UW beat Liberty on Sunday), flown over seven hours and we have another plane ride Sunday (the departure for Vegas). We'll plan out these next few days. We'll get our work in. But also make sure we take care of our bodies and get freshened up a little.
"The biggest thing is that you don't overdo it right now. Less is more. There will be some non-contact days, some shooting-only days. We'll have one intense day in there just to make sure we're fresh and have some pop to us when we get to next week.''
Since losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament, the NIT guaranteed the Badgers a "next week'' and "next game'' and they have taken full advantage by going on their first three-game winning streak since December. Eventually, they won six in a row before the Tyler Wahl injury derailed them.
"We didn't respond the right way at the Big Ten tournament knowing it was a win-or-go-home situation – we didn't attack it on game day like we should have,'' said Gard, reflecting on how the Badgers fell behind by 18 at halftime to the Buckeyes and by as many as 27 early in the second half.
"Was it nerves? Was it pressure? I don't know. Ohio State was playing better which we knew. I also knew there was a lot of pressure on us (as an NCAA bubble team). I could just tell it mounting game-by-game. We needed to get one or two more (wins) to relieve some of that.''
So how did the Badgers get to this stage of their postseason … to where they're one of only two Big Ten teams still playing in March? "We've been able to reset our mindset,'' Gard said. "We made sure we approached the NIT with the right mindset so that it wasn't a deflating experience.
"I talked to them about other high major teams that went into the NIT and were kind of sleep-walking through it. I told them, 'You're going to be facing really good teams. Don't worry about what's on the front of their jersey. They've had good years and you've got a chance to get beat here.'
"So let's attack this, and let's get something out of it.''
Gard didn't have to be a mind-reader to see how his players viewed the NIT. "You can tell by how we practice,'' he said. "Maybe the first day after Ohio State we were a little mopey but then we started to get out of that mindset, I thought. We did a lot of competitive things and just had them play.
"That got them through the doldrums of not being in the NCAA tournament.''
After watching his team's finishing kick at Oregon – the Badgers outscored the Ducks 13-4 in the final 3:28 for what would be their 13th win in 20 games decided by 5 or fewer points – Gard made sure his players knew how much their effort was appreciated during a post-game salute in the locker room.
"You guys never, never quit,'' he told them while bringing up how that mindset works and how far it can take them. "So damn proud of you and what you guys have been through .. how you guys have stuck together when a lot of teams when things got rocky could have fractured ...''
After singling out their competitiveness, he admitted, "We're not perfect. We obviously know that. None of us are. Me included. But the way you guys compete and never, never quit and keep coming back. That is an awesome, awesome trait to have as a team. It gets us another 40 minutes.''
Gard amplified on that theme on the flight back to Madison. "It's so satisfying to see them get rewarded for all the work that they've put in,'' he said. "We've competed. We've been resilient. But they hadn't gotten the satisfaction of the result … until now. To see that all pay off is the best thing.''
Tuesday's result was in question until the very last shot, a desperation 3-pointer by Oregon's Quincy Guerrier at the buzzer. It was suggested that the UW's Hail Mary Defense still needs some work. "It was a little better than what it was at Michigan, but not good enough yet,'' Gard conceded.
And yet they were able to survive this time and hang on for the win by making five of their final six shots, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc off the hands of Connor Essegian (at 3:14), Max Klesmit (1:42) and Chucky Hepburn (at the 56-second mark). The latter turned out to be the game-winner.
Coming out of a timeout, the Ducks went from a man-to-man defense to a 1-3-1 zone.
"We had a play drawn up,'' Wahl said, "but there was a guy who wasn't really guarding me at all the whole game and when I saw the guy was not moving when we spread out, I thought, 'Ok, let's just get in our zone offense.' I saw Chucky and me and him looked at each other for a good three seconds.''
Wahl had the ball on the left wing. Hepburn was positioned on the right wing.
"Me and Tyler were staring at each other before he threw me the ball,'' Hepburn said of Wahl's perfectly timed and aimed skip pass that moved much quicker than the Oregon defense could respond. It left Hepburn with a wide-open 3. "And boom,'' said Wahl, signaling the shot whistling through the net.
"It means a lot being in all these close games and showing the perseverance that we have to stick with it and stick with one another,'' added Klesmit who finished with a team-high 18 points. "We've gathered a few wins and earned the trip to Vegas. We feel like we've earned it for sure.''
What they've earned is the potential for another Rock Fight. North Texas leads the nation in scoring defense (55.7 points per game) followed by Houston (56.6) and Tennessee (57.8). By comparison, Wisconsin is ranked No. 32 (64.0). Liberty was No. 8 (60.9) and Bradley was No. 20 (62.7).
Prior to the Mean Green's 65-59 overtime victory Tuesday at Oklahoma State – their 29th of the season, a school record – North Texas was the owner of the nation's most deliberate offense (363rd out of 363 teams) averaging 21.3 seconds per possession and 59 possessions per 40 minutes.
The Mean Green are not green in terms of experience. Or maturity. The average age of the 13 tendered players is 22. Nine of the 13 are 21 or older. Six are 22 or older. Leading scorer Tylor Perry is 22 and the Conference USA Player of the Year. He's averaging 17 points and has 107 triples in 34 games.
Perry is a product of Coffeyville Community College. North Texas head coach Grant McCasland can relate to that path. He got his first taste of the profession in the JUCCO ranks. Prior to that, he had been the director of basketball ops at Texas Tech, where his wife played soccer and he got his Master's.
As it is, the 46-year-old McCasland is the current frontrunner to fill the vacancy at Texas Tech. You can see why. He has led the Mean Green to three straight Conference USA titles. In 2021, they upset Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament, outscoring the Boilers, 17-8 in overtime.
Last year, North Texas lost to Virginia in the NIT's second round. McCasland's teams are known for their blue-collar work ethic, suffocating defense and methodical offense. As such, they're a reflection of McCasland, a former 5-8 walk-on guard at Baylor. "Toughest team wins,'' he's fond of saying.
Gard is familiar with McCasland's background. "Years ago,'' he said, "I'd make recruiting swings every now and then through Texas where he was a junior college coach. He has been at it for a very long time, and he's a very good coach. They're really good defensively.''
One of McCasland's players is Tyree Eady, whose father, Ray, was the strength and conditioning coach for the Wisconsin women's basketball program from 2008 through 2015. Another McCasland player, 6-9 sophomore Moulaye Sissoko is not related to Michigan State's Mady Sissoko.
Both are from Mali, and still playing, though.
Meanwhile, as the charter flight carrying the Badgers back home from Eugene approached the Madison airport, Gard settled into his seat in the back of the plane. It has been a wild ride so far. And that won't change during the off-season for every coach in the country because of the transfer portal.
"We've been paying attention to it for a long time,'' Gard said of the juggling act between coaching this team and managing and shaping the roster for the next one. "You have to be able to do both. And you have to do be able to adapt. You're doing what you need to do within that (framework) …
"Obviously, your main focus is chasing a (NIT) championship.
"You just have a few more plates spinning faster at this time of the year.''
Gard buckled up. For the next 40 minutes. And beyond.
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. – Some 90 minutes into Wednesday's three-hour-plus charter flight from Eugene, Oregon – where the night before Wisconsin had outlasted the Ducks to advance to Las Vegas and the NIT semifinals – Greg Gard piloted a brief meeting on the plane with some of his staff members.
Joining him were Marc VandeWettering, the Director of Basketball Operations; Jim Snider, the basketball strength and conditioning coordinator; and Joe Krabbenhoft, the associate head coach who has the scouting assignment for next Tuesday's opponent, the North Texas Mean Green.
"We're really being very cautious and strategic on how we approach these next few days,'' said Gard who notched his fifth 20-win season with a hard-earned 61-58 comeback victory at Oregon.
Since 2003, the Badgers have now won at least 20 games in 18 of the last 21 seasons.
"We've just played two games in 48 hours (the UW beat Liberty on Sunday), flown over seven hours and we have another plane ride Sunday (the departure for Vegas). We'll plan out these next few days. We'll get our work in. But also make sure we take care of our bodies and get freshened up a little.
"The biggest thing is that you don't overdo it right now. Less is more. There will be some non-contact days, some shooting-only days. We'll have one intense day in there just to make sure we're fresh and have some pop to us when we get to next week.''
Since losing to Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament, the NIT guaranteed the Badgers a "next week'' and "next game'' and they have taken full advantage by going on their first three-game winning streak since December. Eventually, they won six in a row before the Tyler Wahl injury derailed them.
"We didn't respond the right way at the Big Ten tournament knowing it was a win-or-go-home situation – we didn't attack it on game day like we should have,'' said Gard, reflecting on how the Badgers fell behind by 18 at halftime to the Buckeyes and by as many as 27 early in the second half.
"Was it nerves? Was it pressure? I don't know. Ohio State was playing better which we knew. I also knew there was a lot of pressure on us (as an NCAA bubble team). I could just tell it mounting game-by-game. We needed to get one or two more (wins) to relieve some of that.''
So how did the Badgers get to this stage of their postseason … to where they're one of only two Big Ten teams still playing in March? "We've been able to reset our mindset,'' Gard said. "We made sure we approached the NIT with the right mindset so that it wasn't a deflating experience.
"I talked to them about other high major teams that went into the NIT and were kind of sleep-walking through it. I told them, 'You're going to be facing really good teams. Don't worry about what's on the front of their jersey. They've had good years and you've got a chance to get beat here.'
"So let's attack this, and let's get something out of it.''
Gard didn't have to be a mind-reader to see how his players viewed the NIT. "You can tell by how we practice,'' he said. "Maybe the first day after Ohio State we were a little mopey but then we started to get out of that mindset, I thought. We did a lot of competitive things and just had them play.
"That got them through the doldrums of not being in the NCAA tournament.''
After watching his team's finishing kick at Oregon – the Badgers outscored the Ducks 13-4 in the final 3:28 for what would be their 13th win in 20 games decided by 5 or fewer points – Gard made sure his players knew how much their effort was appreciated during a post-game salute in the locker room.
"You guys never, never quit,'' he told them while bringing up how that mindset works and how far it can take them. "So damn proud of you and what you guys have been through .. how you guys have stuck together when a lot of teams when things got rocky could have fractured ...''
"The way you guys compete, and never, NEVER quit, and keep coming back
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 22, 2023
"That is an awesome trait to have"
Proud of this team's fight#OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/b5eYUmuFYe
After singling out their competitiveness, he admitted, "We're not perfect. We obviously know that. None of us are. Me included. But the way you guys compete and never, never quit and keep coming back. That is an awesome, awesome trait to have as a team. It gets us another 40 minutes.''
Gard amplified on that theme on the flight back to Madison. "It's so satisfying to see them get rewarded for all the work that they've put in,'' he said. "We've competed. We've been resilient. But they hadn't gotten the satisfaction of the result … until now. To see that all pay off is the best thing.''
Tuesday's result was in question until the very last shot, a desperation 3-pointer by Oregon's Quincy Guerrier at the buzzer. It was suggested that the UW's Hail Mary Defense still needs some work. "It was a little better than what it was at Michigan, but not good enough yet,'' Gard conceded.
And yet they were able to survive this time and hang on for the win by making five of their final six shots, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc off the hands of Connor Essegian (at 3:14), Max Klesmit (1:42) and Chucky Hepburn (at the 56-second mark). The latter turned out to be the game-winner.
Coming out of a timeout, the Ducks went from a man-to-man defense to a 1-3-1 zone.
"We had a play drawn up,'' Wahl said, "but there was a guy who wasn't really guarding me at all the whole game and when I saw the guy was not moving when we spread out, I thought, 'Ok, let's just get in our zone offense.' I saw Chucky and me and him looked at each other for a good three seconds.''
Wahl had the ball on the left wing. Hepburn was positioned on the right wing.
"Me and Tyler were staring at each other before he threw me the ball,'' Hepburn said of Wahl's perfectly timed and aimed skip pass that moved much quicker than the Oregon defense could respond. It left Hepburn with a wide-open 3. "And boom,'' said Wahl, signaling the shot whistling through the net.
Morning Mood! 🙌
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) March 22, 2023
More hoops to play! 👏
The Wisconsin Badgers are marching on to the #NIT2023 semifinals pic.twitter.com/dcVNAnHq3i
"It means a lot being in all these close games and showing the perseverance that we have to stick with it and stick with one another,'' added Klesmit who finished with a team-high 18 points. "We've gathered a few wins and earned the trip to Vegas. We feel like we've earned it for sure.''
What they've earned is the potential for another Rock Fight. North Texas leads the nation in scoring defense (55.7 points per game) followed by Houston (56.6) and Tennessee (57.8). By comparison, Wisconsin is ranked No. 32 (64.0). Liberty was No. 8 (60.9) and Bradley was No. 20 (62.7).
Prior to the Mean Green's 65-59 overtime victory Tuesday at Oklahoma State – their 29th of the season, a school record – North Texas was the owner of the nation's most deliberate offense (363rd out of 363 teams) averaging 21.3 seconds per possession and 59 possessions per 40 minutes.
The Mean Green are not green in terms of experience. Or maturity. The average age of the 13 tendered players is 22. Nine of the 13 are 21 or older. Six are 22 or older. Leading scorer Tylor Perry is 22 and the Conference USA Player of the Year. He's averaging 17 points and has 107 triples in 34 games.
Perry is a product of Coffeyville Community College. North Texas head coach Grant McCasland can relate to that path. He got his first taste of the profession in the JUCCO ranks. Prior to that, he had been the director of basketball ops at Texas Tech, where his wife played soccer and he got his Master's.
As it is, the 46-year-old McCasland is the current frontrunner to fill the vacancy at Texas Tech. You can see why. He has led the Mean Green to three straight Conference USA titles. In 2021, they upset Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament, outscoring the Boilers, 17-8 in overtime.
Last year, North Texas lost to Virginia in the NIT's second round. McCasland's teams are known for their blue-collar work ethic, suffocating defense and methodical offense. As such, they're a reflection of McCasland, a former 5-8 walk-on guard at Baylor. "Toughest team wins,'' he's fond of saying.
Gard is familiar with McCasland's background. "Years ago,'' he said, "I'd make recruiting swings every now and then through Texas where he was a junior college coach. He has been at it for a very long time, and he's a very good coach. They're really good defensively.''
One of McCasland's players is Tyree Eady, whose father, Ray, was the strength and conditioning coach for the Wisconsin women's basketball program from 2008 through 2015. Another McCasland player, 6-9 sophomore Moulaye Sissoko is not related to Michigan State's Mady Sissoko.
Both are from Mali, and still playing, though.
Meanwhile, as the charter flight carrying the Badgers back home from Eugene approached the Madison airport, Gard settled into his seat in the back of the plane. It has been a wild ride so far. And that won't change during the off-season for every coach in the country because of the transfer portal.
"We've been paying attention to it for a long time,'' Gard said of the juggling act between coaching this team and managing and shaping the roster for the next one. "You have to be able to do both. And you have to do be able to adapt. You're doing what you need to do within that (framework) …
"Obviously, your main focus is chasing a (NIT) championship.
"You just have a few more plates spinning faster at this time of the year.''
Gard buckled up. For the next 40 minutes. And beyond.
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