Wisconsin basketball fans are feeling the sting of another early exit from March Madness, as the team fell to No. 12 seed High Point in a nail-biting 83-82 loss. This marks the sixth consecutive year the Badgers have bowed out in the tournament's opening weekend, with half of those being the infamous 12-over-5 upsets. As the program heads into the 2026-27 season, the Sweet 16 continues to elude them, now for a decade.
Amid the disappointment, former Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky shared his perspective on the situation during an appearance on ESPN Milwaukee. Kaminsky, a respected voice in the Badgers' community, expressed his support for head coach Greg Gard, acknowledging the challenges while maintaining optimism.
"Seriously, I don't know where it goes from here," Kaminsky said. "You just have to appreciate the season and what it was.
They got back to the NCAA Tournament. They were a top-five seed again.
But you can see what the problem is. But (Greg Gard) is a fantastic coach.
He really is. He's a guy who can figure it out.
He's really smart. I think he'll find the guys who can come in play.
It's just, you have to find guys who are going to fit your system and not have these lapses. ... It's hard to see, the past couple of years, how it feels when the heat gets turned up by another team, they just kind of wilt away."
Looking ahead, Gard and his coaching staff face a pivotal offseason. Key decisions loom regarding the futures of soon-to-be seniors John Blackwell and Nolan Winter. Their retention could be crucial in breaking the program's Sweet 16 drought and setting a new course for success.
The Badgers have the pieces in place, but the challenge lies in assembling a cohesive unit that can withstand the pressures of tournament play. With Gard's strategic mind and potential roster stability, Wisconsin fans have reasons to hope for a breakthrough next season.