The week that was in college basketball: 5 biggest takeaways

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 22: Head coach Bobby Hurley of the Arizona State Sun Devils looks on against the USC Trojans during a NCAA Pac12 conference college basketball game at Galen Center on January 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) /

2 of 5

Bluh!

Do I think Greg Gard is a good basketball coach? You bet. Is Wisconsin a more than solid basketball program? Sure.

I believe both of those things, but also think that it is fair to admit watching that team play basketball is similar to purposely allowing another human to poke you in the eyeballs with a pencil.

Save me the “Virginia basketball is a thing of beauty” type rhetoric. Watching Tony Bennett’s slow-paced hoops isn’t fun either. Being good doesn’t automatically equate to fun. It just doesn’t. You know what else is good, yet not fun? Going to the doctors. Boom. Great analogy and your argument is now over.

Eh, I digress…

The Badgers are currently scoring the 318th most points per game in the country. That’s awful for a big boy program. It just so happens that Wisconsin is also dreadful this season, which has allowed anti-crappy hoops people to be open with their hatred of the product.

In a way, Wisconsin’s style of play, coupled with losing, has empowered the powerless. The folk who have been long been shouted down for being close-minded for not understanding whatever (fake) beauty programs like the Badgers trot on the floor each game.

For whatever it’s worth, if given time, Gard will right this ship and the program will be fine. I mean, they will still be difficult to watch, but the win-loss record and direction of Wisconsin hoops will correct itself.