Greg Gard praises Wisconsin guard after big performance vs. Montana State
Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard highlighted the development and performance of senior guard Kamari McGee when meeting with the media after the Badgers’ 79-67 win over Montana State.
McGee played 27 minutes off the bench in the winning effort, totaling 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, three rebounds, three assists and a steal. Yet again, he served as a crucial spark plug for the Badgers. His status as the team’s sixth man does not preclude his minutes from being highly productive.
Related: Biggest takeaways from Wisconsin basketball’s win over Montana State
The former UW-Green Bay transfer has developed significantly since transferring to Wisconsin ahead of the 2022-23 season. Gard highlighted that improvement:
“Just his poise and maturity,” Gard began. “I think he’s operating at a very functional speed right now. Two years ago, I think he tried to play everything at a thousand miles an hour. Now, he understands the importance of pace and patience. When to pick your spots, when to step on the gas, when not to. So I think you’re seeing the evolution and the maturity of a player that’s done a really good job for us.”
McGee’s elevated role speaks to that development. Through two games this season he’s averaging 27.5 minutes, 9.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game, all while shooting 54% from the floor and 40% from three-point range.
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Here’s more from Gard on what McGee means to the team:
“He’s been a steadying influence. He changes the game with his defense, he changes the game with the pace he comes up with the ball. But I just think the decisions, and the conscious effort to read and feel of the game, when you can go fast and when you can’t. He didn’t understand that two years ago, and it’s taken time for him to learn that and get a good feel. He’s obviously figured out a lot of good things.”
Much of Gard’s focus was on McGee’s contributions on offense. McGee’s comments postgame, meanwhile, centered around the defensive side of the court
“I know that defense is going to win us a lot of games,” the senior guard said. “I’ve always had the defensive mindset ever since I started playing basketball. That’s winning basketball, is getting defensive stop. We have enough scorers, we have enough guys doing great things at the other end. I make sure I try to lead by example and get my guys engaged as well. Because when it’s crunch time like that and it’s time to close a game out, you’re going to need stops more than scores.”
Gard, McGee and the Badgers are back on the court on Sunday, Nov. 10 at home against Appalachian State. It’s reasonable to predict another high-impact game from the senior guard in his established sixth-man role.
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