Eye On College Basketball

Episode: Wisconsin's Greg Gard on Continuing On with Bo Ryan's Legacy
Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Gary Parrish sits down with Wisconsin men's basketball head coach Greg Gard to discuss his journey inheriting and advancing the program after Bo Ryan, maintaining consistent success, evolving strategies amid wide changes in college basketball (including the transfer portal and international recruiting), and the unique makeup and outlook for his 2025-26 team. The conversation delves deep into culture, player development, international influence, modern offensive strategies, and what success looks like for Wisconsin this season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Upholding and Evolving Bo Ryan’s Legacy

• Staying Consistent Amid Change (01:00–02:12)
  • Gard credits Wisconsin’s sustained success to a strong, well-defined culture:

    "Our success over the last 30 years as a program, as you go back through even previous head coaches, was tied to very similar things... We've been able to retain and hold on to that culture even amidst all the changes..." (01:29)

  • He underscores continuing Bo Ryan's focus on teaching rather than over-coaching fundamentals.
• Lessons from Bo Ryan (02:12–03:27)
  • Gard emphasizes that Ryan’s legacy is about being “anchored in the fundamentals” and adapting without losing those core values:

    "I've always thought the game has been, you know, over coached and under taught. And BO did such a great job of teaching the game..." (02:29)

  • Gard describes having a “front row seat to a lot of different things” in his 23 years with Ryan, advocating for both honoring tradition and embracing evolution.

The Current Wisconsin Roster: Experience and International Influence

• Team Composition and Experience (04:16–05:29)
  • Despite nine new faces (including five transfers—four seniors—and four freshmen, two of whom are internationals), Gard describes his roster as exceptionally experienced and mature.
  • Notably, international players from Lithuania and New Zealand bring advanced tactical understanding:

    "Their brains are a little more advanced. In the game than what maybe Americans are... They played for their national teams both in Lithuania and in New Zealand." (04:44)

• Coaching Philosophy with Experienced Players
  • Gard notes the importance of giving players more autonomy as they mature and as team composition changes.

    "...let the reins loose a little bit, let them go." (05:13)

U.S. vs. International Development Models

• International Training Advantage (05:29–06:55)
  • Gard agrees that U.S. youth basketball often suffers from "too much play, not enough practice," in contrast to Europe/Australia/New Zealand’s more developmentally-focused models:

    “Our development programs and system have to be better. You know, we've fallen behind in terms of what maybe Europe has done, and even Australia and New Zealand...” (05:55)

  • International freshmen arrive “not playing like freshmen” due to superior training and experience.

Navigating the Transfer Portal Era

• Recruitment and Scouting Adjustments (06:55–08:34)
  • Immediate transfer eligibility requires more staff time for scouting, monitoring players, and building a dynamic recruiting database:

    "...it's added to the list of...my director of recruiting and scouting. Like, we have a ongoing list of potentials." (07:25)

  • The portal enables Wisconsin to maintain their “get old, stay old” tradition by importing mature, battle-tested players.
• The Value of Winning Experience (08:34–09:25)
  • On new point guard Nick Boyd, who won 81 games at two Final Four programs:

    "Absolutely, yeah. I mean, he's a winner... his voice, his energy, his command of the floor, he knows what success looks like." (08:43)

Embracing Modern Strategies and Basketball Trends

• Adapting Tactics from New Sources (09:25–10:40)
  • Gard admits to regularly pulling ideas from social media and online clips, carefully curating innovations that fit Wisconsin’s system:

    "But if you find something that fits... and maybe elevate us another step. I've, you know, got a, you know, a pocket full of new surprises ready to go." (10:20)

• Evolution in Offensive Style (10:40–11:58)
  • The Badgers are committed to a faster pace, more ball-screens, and international influences in spacing and offense:

    "We're more, as you mentioned, the higher pace, the spacing, more ball screen centric, more international flavor to what we're doing..." (11:24)

  • Statistical goals cited: finished 12th nationally in offensive efficiency, 24th in defensive; seeking improvement for a Final Four run.

Recruiting Success Stories: John Blackwell

• Spotting and Developing Talent (11:58–13:38)
  • Recounts discovering John Blackwell (now a star guard) from a tip in an airport at age 15; credits his work ethic, maturity, and character:

    “...that's the first thing that jumped off the page When I first met him as a sophomore in high school…” (12:17) “He works. He's a, he's a gym rat. He loves the game, and he came in from day one as a very, with a very mature approach." (13:46)

  • Blackwell now leads the team, exemplifying Gard’s focus on character in recruiting.

Defining Goals for the 2025–26 Season

• Expectations and Confidence (14:16–15:37)
  • Though other teams may be preseason favorites, Gard expects Wisconsin to contend for the Big Ten and beyond:

    "We're trying to chase the mailman that apparently is delivering the trophy already to West Lafayette. So we're trying to interrupt his route, intercept his route. And I, I would expect us to contend. I think we're good enough. We're talented enough." (14:29)

  • He describes the group as “bold, fearless,” emphasizing their depth, size, and readiness to prove themselves.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I've always thought the game has been, you know, over coached and under taught. And BO did such a great job of teaching the game and not trying to overcoach.”
  — Greg Gard (02:29)

• "We've been able to retain and hold on to that culture even amidst all the changes..."
  — Greg Gard (01:45)

• “Their brains are a little more advanced. In the game than what maybe Americans are in terms of the training and development, the levels that they played at. And they played for their national teams both in Lithuania and in New Zealand.”
  — Greg Gard (04:44)

• “At Wisconsin, part of that culture has always been get old, stay old... Now you're able to add that experience and that stay old component through the portal.”
  — Greg Gard (07:45)

• "We're more... higher pace, the spacing, more ball screen centric, more international flavor to what we're doing..."
  — Greg Gard (11:24)

• “He works. He's a, he's a gym rat... he came in from day one as a very, with a very mature approach. He played for me as a freshman, which is hard to do in college basketball.”
  — Greg Gard on John Blackwell (13:46)

• “This group is fearless. I get asked a lot, what in one word can you describe this group? And I would say bold, fearless. They know they're really good. And now you got to go prove it.”
  — Greg Gard (15:24)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:59 – Start of interview with Greg Gard
• 01:19 – Wisconsin's culture and program consistency
• 02:12 – Learning from Bo Ryan and teaching vs. over-coaching
• 03:30 – Bo Ryan's current well-being and staying connected
• 04:16 – Roster makeup: transfers, international players, and experience
• 05:29 – Superiority of international youth development
• 06:55 – Transfer portal impact on scouting and recruiting
• 08:34 – Valuing transfer Nick Boyd's winning experience
• 09:25 – Using the Internet and social media to adapt strategies
• 10:40 – Wisconsin's evolution to a faster, more dynamic offense
• 11:58 – Discovery and rise of John Blackwell
• 14:29 – Defining success and outlook for the 2025–26 season
• 15:37 – Interview concludes

Summary

Greg Gard eloquently details how Wisconsin basketball maintains its culture and standards while consciously evolving—balancing tradition with necessary adaptation in recruiting, player development, and on-court strategy. With an experienced and internationally-influenced 2025–26 roster, the Badgers aspire to bold, fearless play, ready to compete at the highest level. Gard's thoughtful leadership, rooted in Bo Ryan’s legacy but oriented toward the future, is evident throughout, making for a compelling, insightful conversation about the present and future of Wisconsin basketball.