Post NBA Draft Lottery mock

With the NBA Draft Lottery now overwith, it is time to start getting ready for the draft. That is, unless your team is in the playoffs still. Philadelphia won the lottery and will have the top pick.

1. Philadelphia 76ers: Brandon Ingram, SF, Duke

Out of all the teams in the lottery, Philadelphia is the one team I could see taking Ingram over Ben Simmons. Over the last few years, the 76ers have used three high selections on big men: Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and most recently, Jahlil Okafor. Philadelphia has its four and five of the future. Ingram would possibly give the 6ers a formidable frontcourt of the future.

2. Los Angeles Lakers: Ben Simmons, SF/PF, LSU

Los Angeles is in the easiest position in the first round. All the Lakers need to do is take the one out of Simmons or Ingram who Philadelphia does not take. With 2014 first round pick Julius Randle still on the team, Los Angeles could either look to trade Randle or have Simmons play SF. The Lakers could also look to trade the pick if they can get a big time player.

3. Boston Celtics: Dragan Bender, PF, Croatia

The Celtics could go with Bender or one of the shooting guards here, but I have them going with the International power forward. Jared Sullinger is not the answer at the four and Bender has a lot of potential. He could help elevate the Celtics into the top tier of the Eastern Conference along with Cleveland.

4. Phoenix Suns: Jaylen Brown, SF, California

The three other top prospects are all guards (Hield, Murray, Dunn) and the Suns have their backcourt of the future set with Brandon Knight or Eric Bledsoe and last year's first round pick Devin Booker. He is a great fit for the Suns, as Phoenix has a major hole at SF.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves: Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma

Seven years ago, the Timberwolves drafted Jonny Flynn, one spot ahead of Golden State selecting some guy named Stephen Curry. After seeing Curry dominate the NBA with his incredible shooting, Minnesota won't make the same mistake this year. The Wolves desperately need a great shooter. Tom Thibodeau does not really want a really young player to come in, so this pick might be traded, but I will have them taking the 22-year-old Hield. He could come in right away and contribute in a big way.

6. New Orleans Pelicans: Kris Dunn, PG, Providence

New Orleans' guards struggled with injuries last year and Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans both played less than 50 games this past year. Those two and Jrue Holiday also are all not in contract past next season. Dunn could be taken a few picks before, but I have him going here. I could see New Orleans taking Jamal Murray to cover for the inevitable Gordon injury, but Dunn is the best point guard in the draft.

7. Denver Nuggets: Jamal Murray, SG, Kentucky

With a solid, young core, the Nuggets could use a great shooter and are lucky to have Murray sitting there at pick seven. Denver could use a great shooter to complement 2015 first round pick Emmanuel Mudiay. Gary Harris has not panned out like they would have liked, although he could be a solid backup. The Nuggets already have one of the youngest rosters in the league, so Murray could come in and fit in so Murray and the fellow young guns could grow together.

8. Sacramento Kings: Deyonta Davis, PF, Michigan State

The Kings have a gaping hole at power forward, so Davis makes a lot of sense. He would help give the Kings a nice duo of Davis and Demarcus Cousins. The former Michigan State big man is an athletic big who has a tremendous wingspan. He excels defensively as well, holding Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes to just five points on 1-13 shooting in their February contest in East Lansing. He will need to put on some weight for the NBA, but the talent and athleticism is certainly already there.

9. Toronto Raptors: Marquese Chriss, PF, Washington

If Demar DeRozan signs elsewhere this offseason, shooting guard becomes a higher priority. As of right now, though, Toronto is set at every position except for power forward. Patrick Patterson is decent, but he is probably better suited coming off the bench. Bismack Biyombo is also going to get a significant pay raise this offseason in the free agent market and the Raptors will not be able to keep both him and DeRozan. He is too skinny as of now, being just 235, so he will need to gain weight to be able to hold up at the net level, but he has a lot of potential.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah

It still amazes me that the Bucks did not make the playoffs. Milwaukee has a number of talented, young players. He is the best center in the draft. If he were to declare last year, he would have been a first rounder, but returned to school and is now a probable lottery pick. He runs the floor extremely well for a big man. He will not be outworked. He needs to add weight and strength to be able to compete against other bigs in the NBA.

11. Orlando Magic: Skal Labissiere, PF/C, Kentucky

Orlando needs another big man to help rotate with Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucvic. Labissiere did not play as well as people thought he would, coming to Kentucky as one of the top high school prospects in the country. He could have used another year at Kentucky, but he does have what scouts look for. He has a very nice jump shot and is a good defender with the potential to be a great one with his length and quickness.

12. Utah Jazz: Furkan Korkmaz, SG, Turkey

The Jazz have seven players 25 and under, so it would not be the worst thing to draft a player they can stash overseas until he is ready to play. Utah is a young, up-and-coming team that can afford to do that. He could come in and play behind Alec Burks when he comes over.

13. Phoenix Suns: Henry Ellenson, PF, Marquette

After drafting Jaylen Brown at No. 4, the Suns need a big man to play with Alex Len. And with Phoenix already being set at guard, Ellenson is the choice here. They also need another big after the trade of Markieff Morris this season. He can score inside and outside and he is a solid rebounder as well.

14. Chicago Bulls: Denzel Valentine, SG, Michigan State

Chicago may very well look to trade Jimmy Butler this offseason, and so they might need to look to the draft to find a potential replacement. Valentine was one of the most productive players in the country last season. He is a tremendous passer and shooter. He is ready to play right now and would be an immediate contributor for a team that is likely going to start rebuilding.

15. Denver Nuggets: Domantas Sabonis, PF/C, Gonzaga

Denver has three first round picks, so it would not shock me if Denver tries to move up in the first round with its last two picks. But here they take the Gonzaga big man. He is the son of former Portland TrailBlazers big man Arvydas Sabonis, so he is blessed with great size. He is a great rebounder and a great passer as well as a terrific low post scorer. He runs the floor really well for a big as well. It would not shock me to see him go higher.

16. Boston Celtics: Timothe Luwawu, SG/SF, France

With Evan Turner set to hit free agency, the Celtics will look to the draft to try to find a replacement. He has terrific athleticism and is a solid scorer. He also is a solid passer as well. He has a long wingspan, so with that and his athleticism, he has the chance to be a very good defender at the next level.

17. Memphis Grizzlies: Demetrius Jackson, PG, Notre Dame

Mike Conley is an unrestricted free agent and people think that he will leave, especially since there will be a new coach in Memphis. If they want to keep the other parts around him, drafting Jackson would be a good idea, having been at Notre Dame for three years. He can impact the game with both his scoring and passing and his athleticism helps him get to the rim at will.

18. Detroit Pistons: Cheick Diallo, PF/C, Kansas

After losing Greg Monroe to free agency last offseason, they have been looking for a power forward to have next to Andre Drummond, especially after their trade for Donatas Moteijunas fell apart at the trading deadline this year. He is still incredibly raw and would better off staying at Kansas another year, but he does have a lot of potential. His scoring needs work, but he is a solid defender and rebounder.

19. Denver Nuggets: Taurean Prince, SF, Baylor

This is the last of Denver's three first rounders and with the Nuggets having such a young roster, drafting a senior might be the way to go. And as evidenced by his press conference in the NCAA Tournament, he knows what a rebound is. He has the quickness to be able to guard both shooting guards and small forwards in the NBA. He also is a solid shooter and is ready to contribute in the NBA immediately.

20. Indiana Pacers: Brice Johnson, PF, North Carolina

After drafting Myles Turner a year ago, the Pacers will try to get one more big man in this draft. Johnson was one of the best players in college basketball last year and helped lead the Tar Heels to the National Championship game. He has terrific athleticism and a solid jump shot and is a good finisher around the basket. He could turn out out to be a solid starter or a terrific backup at the next level.

21. Atlanta Hawks: Damian Jones, C, Vanderbilt

Atlanta needs another big man with Tiago Splitter battling injuries for much of last season and Al Horford is an unrestricted free agent. While Horford may be re-signed, Atlanta will still need a big man to come off the bench. Jones is a big man with great length and has tremendous size. He has solid potential to become a very good big man.

22. New Orleans Pelicans: Thon Maker, PF/C, Australia

Maker is the mystery man of this draft, much like Bismack Biyombo was in the 2011 draft. Al Jefferson is an unrestricted free agent and he battled injuries last season. Maker is a high upside player and he could improve his stock into the lottery. He is very skilled and is a major boom-or-bust pick, but at pick 22, it is not as much of a risk as most in the 20s don't amount to much. The risk could be well worth the reward.

23. Boston Celtics: Ante Zizic, C, Croatia

This is the third Celtics first round pick, so they could try to package the last two to move up or sell this one or draft a European to stash overseas. Since I don't predict trades, Zizic it is. He could use some seasoning, so being overseas for a year or two would really help him out. He is a solid athlete, though, and with him being a solid free throw shooter, he could establish a solid jump shot as well. He has potential to be a very good European big man in the NBA in a few years.

24. Philadelphia 76ers: Malik Beasley, SG, Florida State

Philadelphia does not have the luxury of being able to draft a European and wait for him to develop overseas. The 76ers need help now and Beasley is a shooting guard with a terrific jump shot and has good athleticism. He is only a 6-5 wing player, but he is a good prospect who could go several spots higher.

25. Los Angeles Clippers: DeAndre Bembry, SG/SF, St. Joseph's

Bembry is an athletic wing who almost helped St. Joe's to an upset of top seeded Oregon in the NCAA Tournament. He did not have a great shooting performance, but he still scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Paul Pierce is on his last legs and the Clippers will need a replacement. He is good passer and he had a good assist-to-turnover ratio. He can also finish at the rim very well.

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Wade Baldwin, PG, Vanderbilt

Philadelphia's third first round pick could be traded in an effort to move up, but also could be used on a high upside player who falls to them at 26. After taking a pair of wings with its first two picks, Philadelphia takes a point guard to maybe groom into being a starter later on. Two point guards, Ish Smith and Isaiah Canaan, are also free agents, with Smith being unrestricted.

27. Toronto Raptors: Malachi Richardson, SG, Syracuseo

Demar DeRozan is a free agent and may want to go back to the left coast and join the Lakers. Richardson would not be the lone man to try to fill the shoes of DeRozan, but he'll try to help. He would have been better off staying another year in school. He possibly would have been a lottery pick next year or in two years. Richardson has the ideal size for the position and is long and athletic. He is also a solid defender and a good shooter. He only shot 37 percent from the field last year, so he still has a ways to go before he is a solid contributor in the NBA.

28. Phoenix Suns: Zhou Qi, C, China

Phoenix already has a really young team, so they will probably draft a player to stash overseas for a few years. Qi has a lot of potential, so another year in China could do a lot of good. He is a solid defender and has a nice jump shot and should be able to expand his range to be able to make 3-pointers consistently in time.

29. San Antonio Spurs: Diamond Stone, C, Maryland

With Tim Duncan and David West set to hit free agency, the Spurs need to add new blood at the four and five position. Even if Duncan is brought back, the Spurs should still look to add youth at power forward and center. This team is clearly now in the hands of LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard. Stone could have used another season at Maryland to improve his draft stock. He could have been drafted in the lottery if he stuck around for another year in College Park. Stone has a nice jump shot and solid post skills. He runs the floor well for a big man and has a chance to be a good defender.

30. Golden State Warriors: Guerschon Yabusele, PF, France

Golden State does not need a bunch, as evidenced by its record 73-win season. My guess is that they'll take a European to stash overseas for a year or two until he is completely ready. He is really strong down in the low post and has a solid jump shot to go with it. He has tremendous potential, so Golden State could get a steal late in the first round.

Five prospects who the Twins should promote

We are a month and a half into the baseball season and the Minnesota Twins are a woeful 10-30, tied with the Atlanta Braves for the worst record in the league. Right now, most Twins fans should turn their attention to minor league baseball. There are a handful of minor leaguers in the Twins system who deserve a promotion. I tried to avoid players, especially younger ones, who have only been at their respective level for only this season. Here are my top five:

5. LaMonte Wade, OF, Cedar Rapids

Wade has been tearing it up in Cedar Rapids so far this year. After having just a .143 batting average in Cedar Rapids last season (granted, it was just a four game sample size), he is is hitting at a .325/.421/.472 clip this season. He has shown to have a very good eye at the plate, striking out 18 times in 123 official at-bats and has more walks (22) than he does strikeouts. The 2015 ninth round draft pick is also 22, so if the Maryland product keeps this up through the month of June, he is worthy of a promotion. His .893 OPS is also leading all of the Twins minor leaguers and his slugging percentage is third, only behind teammate A.J. Murray and top prospect Byron Buxton.

4. Randy LeBlanc, RHP, Cedar Rapids

LeBlanc has been nothing short of incredible for the Kernels this year. He has allowed four earned runs in 46 innings. Yes, four! That is good enough for a microscopic 0.78 ERA. He had a solid season for Cedar Rapids last year, going 9-5 with an ERA just north of 3.00, but he has been even better this season. Now, I would not call him a great prospect, considering he is already 24 and still in Low-A ball, but he absolutely deserves a promotion, especially when one of the Fort Myers pitchers is promoted within the next few months. His WHIP of 0.87 is second in the all of the Twins system and he has an opponents batting average of just .196. If he ever wants to sniff a chance at the majors, he needs to improve his strikeout total, as he just has 28 in his 46 innings. But with an ERA of less than 1, he needs a new challenge and will soon get it.


3. Stephen Gonsalves, LHP, Fort Myers

If anyone has been more impressive than LeBlanc this season, it has been Gonsalves. After dominating in Cedar Rapids early last season, Gonsalves was promoted to Fort Myers and pitched well, registering a 7-2 record with a 2.61 ERA. He has been nothing short of incredible this season, going 5-1 and having an ERA of 1.27 in seven starts. If you dig into his stats a little more, it makes it that much more impressive. He has a WHIP of 0.84, which is tops in all of the Twins system and an opposing batting average of .152. After a season-opening start in which he gave up three runs in six innings in a loss to Bradenton, the southpaw has only given up three runs total in his last six starts (36.2 innings). His K/9 from Cedar Rapids was unattainable in Fort Myers as he struck out 77 batters in just 55 innings, but this season's 8.02 K/9 in still very solid. If there is room in Chattanooga, Gonsalves will be promoted shortly.

2. Kohl Stewart, RHP, Fort Myers

Last year in his first season at high-A, Stewart pitched decent for Fort Myers, but still had a high opponents batting average and was still not striking very many out. A year ago, the 2013 first round pick struck out just 71 batters in 129.1 innings for just 4.94 strikeouts per nine innings. This year has been a complete turnaround. Not only has he had his way with opposing hitters, his strikeouts per nine innings rate is miles better than 2015. He has struck out 37 in 40.2 innings so far for an 8.19 K/9 to go along with his 3-1 record with a sparkling 1.77 ERA. His opponents batting average also stands out at .185 with a WHIP of 0.98. His major improvement from 2015 has earned him a promotion that will likely come this summer.

1. J.T. Chargois, RHP, Rochester

It is unfortunate that he has to settle for being on this list, considering he has done more than enough to be a part of the big league club. Chargois has been lights out for Chattanooga and Rochester this season. So far on the year, Chargois has pitched 17.1 innings split between the two teams and has allowed a total of two earned runs. In Rochester, he has pitched 5.2 scoreless innings and has allowed just two hits, while striking out an incredible 13. Obviously that won't hold up, but that is an eye-popping 20.65 strikeouts per nine innings. Even if you include his stint in Chattanooga this year, his K/9 is still 14.02. For a team that has a bullpen as bad as the Twins, there is no reason that Chargois should not be on the big league club and I have a feeling if he keeps it up, he will be sooner rather than later.

NBA playoffs predictions

First round
(1) Warriors over (8) Rockets in 5
(4) Clippers over (5) Blazers in 6
(3) Thunder over (6) Mavericks in 5
(2) Spurs over (7) Grizzlies in 4

(1) Cavaliers over (8) Pistons in 5
(5) Celtics over (4) Hawks in 7
(6) Hornets over (3) Heat in 7
(2) Raptors over (7) Pacers in 7

Second round
(1) Warriors over (4) Clippers in 6
(3) Thunder over (2) Spurs in 6

(1) Cavaliers over (5) Celtics in 5
(2) Raptors over (6) Hornets in 7

Conference championship
(1) Warriors over (3) Thunder in 5

(1) Cavaliers over (2) Raptors in 6

NBA Finals

Warriors over Cavaliers in 5

MLB Predictions

American League

Central
Kansas City
Minnesota
Cleveland
Detroit
Chicago

East
Toronto
Boston*
New York
Tampa Bay
Baltimore

West
Houston
Texas*
Los Angeles
Seattle
Oakland

National League

Central
Chicago
St, Louis*
Pittsburgh
Milwaukee
Cincinnati

East
New York
Washington*
Miami
Atlanta
Philadelphia

West
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Arizona
San Diego
Colorado

Playoffs predictions
AL WC: Texas over Boston
NL WC: St. Louis over Washington

Houston over Texas
Toronto over Kansas City
Chicago over St. Louis
San Francisco over New York

Toronto over Houston
Chicago over San Francisco

World Series
Chicago over Toronto in six games

Awards
AL MVP: Jose Bautista, Toronto
NL MVP: Kris Bryant, Chicago
AL ROY: Byung Ho Park, Minnesota
NL MVP: Corey Seager, Los Angeles

Dancing Phoenix

Last March, I was driving home from work listening to JMV, one of the sports talk radio shows in Indiana. One of his guests on the show was Linc Darner, the head coach of the Florida Southern Mocs, who had just led his team to the Division II championship. Little did I know, just a few weeks later, Darner would be named the head coach of Green Bay to replace Brian Wardle, who accepted the head coaching job at Bradley.

I liked the hiring. There is a lot of basketball talent in the state of Indiana, and Darner could help with recruiting in that area since he was a Purdue player in the 1990s. I also liked the style of play he would bring to the table. Recruits love playing in this style and I think he would thrive coaching in a mid-major program like Green Bay. Darner has also won everywhere he has been, which was also a big plus.

However, Green Bay has had major heartbreak the previous three years in the conference tournament. I was beginning to think the Phoenix was a cursed program, constantly getting its heart broken and not having made the big dance in 20 years. Darner had to come in and try to reverse the curse. It would also be a challenge for Darner to get the players to buy into his system after having played in a completely different one under Wardle. The system Darner calls RP40, which stands for Relentless Pressure for 40 minutes. The Phoenix also lost one of its top young players, Daeshon Francis, as well as its entire recruiting class.

I admit, after the first three games under Darner, I was unimpressed. The defense was downright awful, having given up more than 90 points in all three games and more than 100 in two of them. Yes, the team was scoring, but could not stop anyone. The defense was not watchable. Then, Green Bay trailed Division II Minnesota-Duluth 39-38 at halftime at home. Ugh. Green Bay turned it on in the second half and went onto win by 20. The second half output helped the Phoenix to 10 wins in the next 12 games.

After an 18-point loss to Oakland on February 13, the Phoenix stood at 7-6 in conference play, but had five games to end the year at the Resch Center. Green Bay went onto win four of the five. The one thing that changed was the Green Bay defense. If you include the postseason, the Phoenix allowed seven of the nine final opponents at 70 points or fewer. That is a far cry from the first three games of the season.

Green Bay entered the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 4 seed. Green Bay did not play well, but was able to get past Cleveland State. Going against Milwaukee, I honestly did not think Green Bay was going to win. Milwaukee is a talented team, led by senior Matt Tiby and one of the top assist men in the country, Jordan Johnson. After trailing 52-46, the Phoenix used a big run which would lead the Phoenix to 70-61 win.

That would bring the Phoenix to a rematch with Valparaiso. The Crusaders have been a major thorn in the side of Green Bay. Last year, it was Valpo that beat Green Bay in the conference championship and earn the auto bid. Three years ago, the two teams met in the semifinals. With Green Bay ahead by two and after an Alec Brown missed free throw, Valpo dribbled up the court and Ryan Broekhoff buried a fadeaway 3-pointer with a hand in his face to beat the Phoenix 70-69. Then, a week before this past game, Green Bay led by one late in the game, but Valpo's Shane Hammink hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left to break Green Bay's hearts again.

Going into the game, I thought Green Bay had no shot, personally. I know the Phoenix went toe-to-toe with the top seed the week before. But that was in Green Bay and a lot of people thought Valpo was a possible Sweet 16 sleeper. Sound familiar, Phoenix fans? Green Bay knows the feeling, having been the best team in the conference two years ago by a wide margin, but lost to Milwaukee in the semifinals. That Phoenix team and this Crusaders team are very comparable.

We thought it would happen again when Alec Peters caught a long pass and scored on a layup to send it into overtime. I thought Green Bay would be crushed in the overtime period. The Phoenix choked down the stretch during regulation and Valparaiso had all the momentum going into the extra session. But Green Bay showed tremendous heart and toughness in dominating the overtime period and leading the Phoenix to the upset win.

Going into the championship game, I know Wright State is a solid team, but there was just something about this Green Bay team that made me think the Phoenix were not going to lose. This was just a formality. It is like when the Boston Red Sox had terrible luck and could not get past the New York Yankees, but then in 2004 they slayed the beast, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to beat New York. It was just a formality that Boston would beat the St. Louis Cardinals.

Green Bay jumped out to a huge lead and dominated the game. The Phoenix led by as many as 19 points and much like the Valparaiso game, when Wright State tried to make a run to get back into the game, Green Bay always had a response. The Phoenix hits its free throws to seal the deal and make the long overdue trip back to the tournament.

It was cool to be on Twitter last night and see the congratulatory tweets by people such as former Green Bay standout and current Virginia head coach Tony Bennett, Packers WR Jordy Nelson and former Packers WR Donald Driver, not to mention a good luck tweet by two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers.

I am an alum and a fan and I am still in shock. I can just imagine how seniors Carrington Love and Jordan Fouse feel. Coming so close the last two years makes this one really sweet. Not a bad way to go out. It is just a shame that Keifer Sykes was not on the team this year.

After 20 years of heartbreak, this one is special. After the game, I had so many thoughts flow through my mind. There was the Broekhoff 3-pointer. Then the loss to Milwaukee after a 16-2 conference season. And then there was loss to Valpo in the championship game after having a late lead last season. I think that having those heartbreaking endings makes this tournament win that much sweeter. Just incredible.

At the beginning of the season, I had my doubt with the style of play and the poor defensive performances. If you were to tell me after the 0-3 start that Green Bay would make the tournament, I would have thought you were crazy. It is a tribute to the coaching of Darner as well as the leadership of Love and Fouse. Green Bay has won eight of its last nine, with its only loss being the last-second loss to Valpo. The Phoenix is peaking at the right time and will be a tough out for whichever high seed Green Bay ends up playing.

This season, I have learned to trust the system. I cannot wait for RP40 to wreak havoc in the NCAA Tournament.

Gard for Big Ten Coach of the Year

On the last post I made about Greg Gard, I had said Gard was the right man for the job after Wisconsin had won three straight to claw back to an even 4-4 Big Ten record and 12-9 overall record. Since then, a lot has changed. Back then, Wisconsin was still not even close to being in the NCAA Tournament picture, despite wins over Michigan State and Indiana. Now, Wisconsin comes into the final weekend of the regular season at 20-10 overall and 12-5 in the Big Ten and are safely in the tournament field. The Badgers have won 11 of 12, with wins on the road against Maryland and Iowa in addition to Michigan State and Indiana. The only loss in the last dozen games was a 12-point setback in East Lansing against Michigan State.

What was a very shaky resume with losses to Western Illinois and Milwaukee at home and to Northwestern on the road has now turned into one of the strongest in the country. A lot of that has to do with the job that Gard has done. When he took over, Wisconsin was struggling to say the least. The Badgers had no offensive flow and the overworked starting unit was not producing. One of the first things Gard implemented when he took over was a transition back to the swing offense, which had been a trademark under Bo Ryan for many years. It took a bit to come together, but eventually the offense started to click. The non-existent bench was getting more playing time and producing. One game, it could be Jordan Hill, who has become a revelation under Gard after not having played much when Ryan was the coach. The next game, it could be Khalil Iverson, like against Iowa and the road game against Illinois. Another game it could be Alex Illikainen like against Penn State. In others, the starters carry most of the load.

Under Ryan earlier this year, the team relied solely on the combination of Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, and they both were struggling, which is why Wisconsin was not playing well early on. To show you how much Wisconsin has come, in arguably the biggest win of the year at No, 2 Maryland, Koenig and Hayes shot a combined 8-for-25, but Wisconsin won going away, 70-57, being the only team to win at the Xfinity Center this year. Vitto Brown, who has also become a huge part of the winning streak, scored 21 points in the victory. Ethan Happ, the league's leader in steals, has also become a double-double machine and may end up being the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

A month and a half ago, nobody thought Wisconsin would be in the tournament, let alone end up in the top four of the conference like it had in every season under Ryan. Not only will that streak continue, but Wisconsin now has seven consecutive seasons of 12 wins in Big Ten play, the longest streak in the conference. Gard has turned this season around for the Badgers and with a win at Purdue Sunday night, Wisconsin will finish 13-5 in Big Ten play and tie for second in the Big Ten. Considering the shape of the team when he took over and the strength of his conference schedule, he should be a front-runner for not only the Big Ten Coach of the Year, but National Coach of the Year as well.

Indiana fans will bring up Tom Crean for both awards, as Indiana had to endure the loss of one of its top scorers, James Blackmon, Jr. as well as a tough start to the year, losing to a terrible Wake Forest team that is currently 2-16 in the ACC. However, it is no coincidence that Indiana's defense has improved greatly since his injury. Blackmon is terrible on defense to the point where people have thought of him as "lazy" on that end of the court. Yes, Blackmon is a terrific scorer, but his defense is so poor that it offsets his scoring he brings to the team.

Indiana also has a lot of weapons, even without Blackmon. Having a McDonald's All-Amercian in Thomas Bryant helps, as does having one of the best players in the conference in Yogi Ferrell. Indiana also has a number of solid role players, such as Colin Hartman, OG Anunoby, Robert Johnson and Max Bielfeldt. The cupboard was hardly bare.

Wisconsin had to replace three players who are now in the NBA as well as Traevon Jackson and the heart and soul of last year's team, Josh Gasser. Obviously it would take some time to gel without five of their top seven players from last year, but early in the season, Wisconsin was almost unrecognizable on offense. That was until Gard became the coach and went back to the swing.

Crean and Indiana also has benefited greatly from the unbalanced schedule in the Big Ten. Every Big Ten team plays five teams twice and eight teams once to make up the conference schedule. Most people would agree that the five best teams in the Big Ten are Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan State, Purdue and Maryland (in any order). Wisconsin has had to play the other four teams in that group of five twice. Every single one of them. Indiana has had to play just one of those teams on the list twice......Wisconsin. That is it. The Hoosiers also avoided playing at both Maryland and Purdue. The five teams Indiana had to play twice were Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Minnesota. It is entirely possible that three of those teams will play on Wednesday in the Big Ten Tournament. Wednesday is reserved for the bottom four teams in the Big Ten, so congrats on your Big Ten championship, Indiana, but don't expect me to be impressed. Indiana's conference strength of schedule is 94th in the country, far and away the worst in the Big Ten and one of just three teams in the conference with an overall strength of schedule of at least 100. Wisconsin, on the other hand, has the 15th toughest conference strength of schedule in the country, which is the toughest in the Big Ten. Their overall strength of schedule is seventh in the country, far and away the toughest in the conference.

Crean deserves credit for winning the Big Ten, but in my opinion, Gard has done the best job out of any coach in the Big Ten and maybe the country. What he has done to turn around the season has been nothing short of remarkable and will soon get the interim tag taken off.

Greg Gard is the right man for the job

Despite a modest 5-4 record under interim head coach Greg Gard, the Wisconsin Badgers are in a good spot with Gard at the helm. At first, I was not convinced that Gard could be "the guy," but I am becoming more and more convinced.

Gard's first game was a victory against Green Bay, but has started just 4-4 in conference play. However, the Badgers improve each and every game, which is all you can ask for with Wisconsin being one of the more inexperienced teams in the nation. Despite having four juniors in the starting lineup, only Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes had much playing time before this year. Add in eight freshmen, which is tied for the most in the nation, and you have a recipe for an up and down season, which is what has gone on so far. After starting out 1-4 in the Big Ten, the Badgers have won three consecutive games, including wins over No. 4 Michigan State and No. 19 Indiana. After having seven of its first nine losses by six points or less, the Badgers have learned to win the close games, winning the last three games by a combined 10 points.

Gard has an unlikely mentor in Michigan State head coach and Hall of Fame finalist Tom Izzo. Gard and Izzo have become friends over the years and if anyone knows what Gard is going through, it is Izzo. Former Michigan State head coach Jud Heathcoate retired following the 1994-95 season and Izzo, the associate head coach, took over and the rest is history. I am not saying that Gard will turn out to be Tom Izzo because saying that would be ridiculous as Izzo has been to a number of Final Fours and has a national championship.

People always want to look for a proven coach, whether that be at a high major or mid major, but many of those guys want to stay put. People mention Tony Bennett since he has ties to the area and he went to school at UW-Green Bay, but getting him would be a pipe dream. Not only does Bennett and his family love where he is at, but he also signed an extension this past offseason in an effort to keep him from going to Wisconsin this offseason.

Also, sometimes people just are happy where they are. One of the only other people I have seen possibly linked to Wisconsin is Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson. However, he, like Bennett signed a big extension this past offseason. He seems to really like it at Northern Iowa and would be tough for the Badgers to lure him away.

With all of these coaches likely wanting to stay at their respective places and the fact that Gard has done as well as anyone could have with such an inexperienced roster. With the Badgers playing really well right now, I do not see any team that will want to play the Badgers down the stretch this season and a lot of that has to do with the coaching of Gard. There is no doubt that Gard will be and should be the coach going forward.