Inside the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois, Big Ten media day produced no shortage of talking points. Yet, one question followed Wisconsin men’s basketball everywhere it went.
Could a team built to play faster, shoot more freely, and stretch the floor actually maintain the defensive backbone that has defined the program for decades? Greg Gard didn’t dodge it. He said Wisconsin had the roster size, the mobility, and the versatility to climb toward the top 10 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency while also pushing the offense closer to that same threshold.