Greg Gard Reacts to Son Scoring First Career Points for Wisconsin Basketball

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team's season-opening victory over Holy Cross might look like a blowout on paper, but the 85-61 final score doesn’t tell the whole story.

The Badgers found themselves in an early hole, trailing Dave Paulsen and the Crusaders—a low major program ranked No. 345 out of 364 in the KenPom rankings—by a score of 21-5 in the first six-plus minutes of action before going on a run of their own and closing the gap to 36-35 by halftime. 

It was a second-half surge, where the Badgers outscored Holy Cross 50-25, sparked by an efficient 23-point outing from transfer wing John Tonje and 16 points from John Blackwell that helped Wisconsin ultimately pull away, making the final score look like a blowout win of sorts despite the early struggles.

The game also held a special moment for coach Gard and his son, Isaac Gard, who joined the Badgers as a walk-on ahead of the 2022-23 season.

In his first two years with the program, Gard saw limited action, playing in just five games as a freshman and six as a sophomore without so much as a bucket to his name. So, when Gard checked in with 1:40 remaining and knocked down a three-pointer with 1:14 left on the clock, the Kohl Center erupted, and his teammates on the bench were shown losing their minds.

At the 0:44 mark, coach Gard pulled his son out of the game for a well-deserved curtain call, letting the home crowd show their appreciation.

While coach Gard kept his emotions in check, he later shared how much his son's moment meant to the team when speaking to the media postgame.

“It’s a credit to him,” Gard told reporters. “He’s put time into it. He’s made himself a better player. He’s gotten bigger and stronger; it’s amazing what a weight room four days a week will do for somebody.

"I knew the shot clock was winding down a little bit, and the reaction of his teammates says it all. To them, he’s coach’s son, but he’s one of the guys. And they know at home he’s my son, but at practice, he’s one of the guys. It’s neat. It’s obviously cool for him.”

Coach Gard went on, reflecting on the rare opportunity to coach his son.

"I don't think his mom was at the game tonight, so I'm sure she'll be pissed at me for her not being here to see it live," Gard joked. “He puts in just as much work as everybody else. He’s in the weight room, he’s running the hill. It’s hard being a coach’s kid.

"To have this time with him every day, you’re not making up for lost time, but you’re not losing anymore, either. And he’s also proven he can be a handful on some days when he’s running off of screens and banging threes. 

"The team around him, that’s the best part to watch. They’re happy for him, and I’m happy for him too. Time goes fast, so you have to enjoy it. You won’t be able to coach your son forever.”

Coach Gard and the Badgers return to the Kohl Center on Nov. 7 to face the Montana State Grizzlies at 7 p.m. CT, hoping to secure another decisive win and, with any luck, another chance to clear the bench late in the game.

For more Wisconsin Badgers football and basketball content, subscribe to the Talkin' Badgers podcast.

Ready to join the community? Follow Athlon Sports on YouTube, Facebook, and X to join in on the conversation.

You can also follow Site Publisher Dillon Graff at @DillonGraff on X.