Before the 2024/25 basketball season, what word would you use to describe Wisconsin Basketball?

Gritty? Tough? Controlling? Simple? Slow? Anything that describes a dominant defense and a slow-paced offense that runs the swing offense to perfection would work. Dick Bennet, Bo Ryan, and Greg Gard made Wisconsin a defensive powerhouse that could reliably win games as long as they scored 60 points. And that’s what they did. Since the 1995/96 season, Wisconsin has averaged 64.7 points a game. That includes Dick Bennet’s 2000 Final Four team that averaged 59.9 points a game. Wisconsin’s best offense during that time frame was last year at 74.7 points a game. Wisconsin’s second-best offense was Bo Ryan’s first Final Four team at 73.5 points a game. This year’s team? 81 points a game. A far cry from Bo Ryan’s 300th win, a 48 – 38 slugfest against Virginia. 

Why the change?

Why is this team scoring a historic amount? Simple, Greg Gard had to change things up to not lose his job. After multiple seasons where Wisconsin stalled out and ran simple offenses that were easily exploitable, Gard modernized his offense to be highly efficient. According to Ken Pom’s offensive efficiency rating, Wisconsin has …