Greg Gard had already put the Brewers on the blueprint before Milwaukee’s playoff run made the comparison feel a lot louder.
Ahead of the Brewers’ series with the Dodgers, the Wisconsin coach talked about building a roster that can live in a world dominated by the sport’s biggest spenders. His point was straightforward: the Badgers are not operating on the same financial level as teams like the Yankees and Dodgers, so the path has to be sharper, more deliberate, and more unified.
"We have to be really strategic and really intentional; a great example is what our Brewers are doing right now. The smallest market in baseball," Gard said.
"I'm not saying we have the smallest market in basketball, but we are not the Yankees or the Dodgers. We have to find a way to compete with the Yankees and the Dodgers.
We've done it, and we will continue to do it."
Then Milwaukee went out and backed up the idea in a big way. The Brewers didn’t just beat the Dodgers - they swept them in the NLCS, finishing the job at Dodger Stadium in front of Los Angeles fans.
For Wisconsin fans, that only sharpened the meaning of Gard’s comments. The Brewers have become the proof of concept for the kind of team Gard says he wants to build: not the biggest payroll, but a group that fits, plays hard, and finds a way to beat the powers in front of it.
Gard’s challenge, though, is obvious. He’s done plenty of work getting teams into the NCAA Tournament, but the breakthrough hasn’t come there. Wisconsin has had no shortage of respectable seasons under him, yet the tournament results have not matched the regular-season consistency.
The recent exits have not come at the hands of college basketball’s biggest names either. Last year it was High Point.
The year before that, BYU got the better of the Badgers. Before that, James Madison ended Wisconsin’s run.
So while the Brewers are busy turning a small-market model into a postseason success story, Gard is still chasing that same kind of finish. If he wants the Badgers to look like Milwaukee, the next step is the one Wisconsin fans have been waiting for: turning a good team into a championship one.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Suddenly Gets A Different UCLA Test In Huge Road Spot
A week that began with one kind of UCLA challenge has turned into another for Wisconsin, with Nico Iamaleava leaving the Bruins last game with a leg injury that is expected to end his season, even if the coach has not locked down a final prognosis. Ty Dieffenbach stepped in and handled the moment well, even throwing a touchdown pass, so the Badgers are preparing for a road test that now looks different from the one they thought they were getting.
For Wisconsin, the shift matters because Colton Joseph has been on a heater of his own, accounting for all four touchdowns in the recent game and hitting at least one long touchdown pass in every outing this season. The Badgers were already facing a tricky Big Ten road spot, but now they have to sort out a UCLA offense with a new lead quarterback while also making sure Joseph and the Wisconsin attack keep pressing the same explosive edge. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Could Get A Crucial Offensive Boost At No. 12 UCLA
Wisconsins offense could be getting healthier at just the right time for Saturdays trip to No. 12 UCLA, with the first injury report pointing to some key availability questions breaking in the Badgers favor. Starting tailback Abu Sama is listed as probable, starting center Austin Kawecki is questionable and wide receiver Jaylon Domingeaux also appears likely to return, giving Luke Fickells group a chance to reclaim some of the balance it has been missing.
There is still at least one lingering concern, with halfback Nate Palmer listed as doubtful, but the overall picture is more encouraging than it might have looked earlier in the week. Fickell addressed the players conditions in his weekly press conference, and Wisconsin now heads into a difficult road matchup with the kind of offensive depth that can change the tone of a game if those expected returns hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Gets A Real Early Test In One Critical Area
The Badgers are only a little way into preseason work, but Tuesdays exhibition at the Resch Center already offers a useful measuring stick for a roster still trying to settle in. Wisconsin is coming off an exhibition win over UW-Parkside, and the focus in camp has been on sharpening the frontcourt and bringing a steadier edge defensively as the games start to matter more in terms of evaluation.
Green Bay should provide a different look, too, with a lineup that includes several newcomers and some recognizable names in Ne'Quan Brown and Aidan Holloway. For Wisconsin, the bigger question is not just whether it can control the game, but how it handles that early test inside and whether the defensive intensity shows up against a more unfamiliar opponent. [Read more 🡒]