Wisconsin’s Greg Gard Reaches 200 Wins in Nail-Biter Against Ohio State

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard celebrated his 200th career win on Tuesday night as his team edged out Ohio State 70-68 in a thrilling Big Ten Conference matchup. The victory marked the Badgers’ sixth consecutive win, improving their record to 14-3 this season.

The game came down to the wire, with Wisconsin nearly squandering a 17-point lead before securing the win with clutch free-throw shooting in the final seconds. Gard, who reached the milestone in 310 games, became the fourth head coach in program history to achieve 200 wins, joining Naismith Hall of Famers Walter Meanwell, Bo Ryan, and Bud Foster.

“You guys know this is not about me,” Gard said after the game. “My name goes with it, but I’ve had terrific players, the current ones and ones that have been here for the last nine years, terrific coaches with me. I have a phenomenal staff right now, a support system. You divide this up. It’s a lot of hard work by a lot of people.”

Since taking over as head coach, Gard has led the Badgers to a 108-72 record in conference play, the eighth-best mark among Big Ten coaches over the last 45 years. His 60% conference win percentage trails only Purdue (0.726) and Michigan State (0.646) during that span.

Center Steven Crowl, a key player in Wisconsin’s recent success, praised Gard and his coaching staff for their impact on his development. “I don’t think I’d be the player I am today without him or the coaches he puts around him,” Crowl said. “They push me in different ways throughout the years. It’s been super fun to play with him, and I’m excited for the second half of the season.”

The Badgers will now head to Los Angeles for a two-game slate, facing USC this weekend and UCLA early next week as they aim to build momentum for a deep tournament run.