Greg Gard Displeased About Brad Davison's Suspension
MADISON -- When first addressing reporters on Thursday afternoon at the Kohl Center, head coach Greg Gard opened with talking about redshirt sophomore Kobe King and his announcement of leaving the Wisconsin men's basketball program.
He then moved on to talk about the one-game suspension handed down to junior guard Brad Davison by the Big Ten after Monday's flagrant 1 foul at Iowa.
With over 30 seconds left in the game, Davison engaged in contact with Hawkeyes guard Connor McCaffery while trying to keep up with sophomore forward Joe Wieskamp. The Badger hooked his arm around McCaffery's left leg. Officials later looked at the replay and assessed the flagrant 1 penalty that allowed Iowa free throw attempts and possession of the ball.
Though he believes the rule was "adjudicated appropriately" on the foul call, Gard disagrees with the suspension.
“My problem with this is, where are we going with the flagrant 1s now?," Gard said. "Are they all subject to review and suspension? We've really painted with a very broad brush and opened Pandora's Box in terms of where this can go. It's a very dangerous slope. I feel if we’re trying to legislate intent, and the other point of that is, anytime that there's a try of a legislature process that tries to dictate intent, it really bothers me when that crosses a line into an intention of malice or what was he was trying to do."
Gard then defended his third-year player's character.
“I've known Brad Davison since he was in eighth grade. I will vouch for his character until the day I die, just like I will for anybody else, my guys in my locker room. I will go to bat for them. I've got their back completely, and I do not agree with, like I said, this punishment that was handed down.”
Gard confirmed that he was notified of the review process pertaining to the flagrant foul on late Wednesday afternoon. He recalled hearing the official word that Davison would need to sit one game at around 6 p.m. CT that night, about an hour before the Big Ten press release went out.
Needless to say, Gard was surprised there was a review on-going that far from when the game was played.
"Usually when those things happen, and I talk to the Big Ten office frequently, there's usually right away the next morning, I get a phone call if there's something that there’s a question or something they're looking at," Gard said. "Whether it was us or an opponent or anything, I usually get a phone call, and I did not until late yesterday afternoon.”
According to Gard, there was no appeal process due to the Big Ten commissioner having the jurisdiction to assess up to two-game suspensions. If the penalty goes to three games or more, then that process kicks in with a committee.
“We expect all of our student-athletes to compete and play hard; however, they must always do so in a civil manner that is consistent with the rules of the game and in the spirit of good sportsmanship," Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren said in a press release on Wednesday night. “We will not tolerate behavior that compromises the health and safety of our student-athletes or crosses the line of aggressive, competitive play, especially when a pattern of similar behavior has been previously established.”
Gard was asked about the wording at the end of Warren's statement. Davison has received attention outside of the program and on social media pertaining to some plays in the past couple of years. One in particular came during UW's overtime loss at Marquette in December 2018 where he hit forward Joey Hauser around the groin area.
Warren and the Big Ten did not exactly specify the referenced "similar behavior," but Gard did not agree with that language at the end of the statement.
"I think it's a dangerous slope that we navigate on. That again, how can you link?," Gard said. "We’ve talked, whenever there was any question that ever came up. I've talked to the conference office. I had conversations with (former Big Ten commissioner) Jim Delaney in the past so it was always looked at, and if there was any questions, and we moved on, and they were all viewed as there was not any suspension that should be or any penalty that should be handed down.
“So for him to be made an example, in this regard, that's where I said it's a very dangerous slope for college basketball in our league. Where is this going? That's the questions that I asked last night and that I didn't get answers for. This is, ‘Where we going with these flagrant 1s? If this is going to be the new norm, then we all got to know that this is the new norm. That opens, like I said, Pandora's Box for the other 13 coaches in our league, whom some of them I've heard from already that are kind of in the same camp that I'm in.”
Gard also discussed how Wisconsin guards of screens and defended Davison more.
“I mean you know how many times there's collisions and stuff that doesn't get called, and because it's on the perimeter, it's more visible," Gard said. "But there's so much -- this is a very physical, intense, high-speed, contact sport. No, we don't teach that, and he's gone around how many? He's gone around thousands and hasn't done it.
“The problem is, too ... I’m not going to stand here, and let or sit here and let anyone trample on the character of one of my guys. And that's where I think it's really crossed the line. That he's been made to this villain, so to speak, and we're trying to legislate intent or malice. That's where I will draw the line and go to bat for my guys and have their back, and any of the guys that are coming in the future. The nine (recruits) that are going to roll in the next two years know. We play within the rules and when there's a violation, he fouled. I agree with that, adjudicated as appropriately defined, but let's not cross the line and trample on somebody's character.”
Davison will miss Saturday's game against No. 14 Michigan State (Noon CT, FOX) in serving his suspension. With King leaving the program -- who placed second on the team in scoring in 19 contests -- UW will be without two major starters for the contest and needs to replace some key production.
In 21 starts this season, Davison played in 30.3 minutes per contest, averaging 8.8 points and 4.6 rebounds.
“No one has greater pride in representing this university and putting on that uniform," Gard said. "The kid didn't practice for two days before Iowa because of the collision that happened at the end of the Purdue game, or towards the end of the Purdue game. He did all he could do to even be able to play in terms of work with our sports medicine staff, and it really wasn't until he made it through shootaround, tested it there, and then it was a near-gametime decision that he could go. So his passion for this place and his passion to put on that uniform or represent that W, just like those guys in that locker room, is second-to-none.
“He's hurt. He's hurt. I think we all are. He knows those opportunities. He cherishes every opportunity to compete and to be with these teammates, and to wear that W, he takes great pride in that and so it's hurtful. You ask a lot of whys, but you try to help people through that and come out stronger on the other end.”
