DENVER, CO (CBB REVIEW) – BYU’s Kevin Young and Wisconsin’s Greg Gard are leading their teams to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, and doing so close to home.
Young, in charge of BYU, was born in Salt Lake City, 45 minutes away from Provo. Meanwhile, Gard was born in Cobb, WI, a town that sits an hour outside of Madison with a population of 480.
But both coaches’ travels to come full circle are entirely different.
Not only is this Young’s first season with BYU and the Round of 32, it is also his first season as a head coach in college basketball. After playing his college years at former NAIA side Middle Georgia College from 2000 to 2002 and Division II side Clayton State, he spent two years as an assistant coach. One season at NJCAA Division III Oxford College, and another at Utah Valley.
After a stop in Ireland with Shamrock Rover Hoops, Young has spent the past 18 years in either the NBA or the G-League. Specifically, he worked as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers from 2016 to 2019 before going to the Phoenix Suns in that same role. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2021, and held until 2023.
While not familiar with coaching in the NCAA tournament, Young has continuously told his players about his experiences coaching in the NBA playoffs as they get ready to take on Wisconsin in the Round of 32 at Ball Arena on Saturday.
“When we, (the Suns), were in the NBA Finals (in 2021), we went up 2-0 against Milwaukee,” Young said. “In our head, we were two wins away from the NBA championship. I think the guard got let down a little bit, and so, I talked to them about that. You can’t let your guard down.”
But Young has not just talk about his NBA experiences, he has put it into action. Since he took over, BYU’s preparations both on and off the court has mimicked the preparations seen at the NBA level. It has caused the Cougars to sign the No. 1 recruit of the 2025 class, AJ Dybantsa, who has aspirations of playing professionally.
“I know with this particular group, they’ve bought into our style of play,” Young said after his team advanced to Round of 32 after beating VCU 80-71 on Thursday. “The way we warm up, the way we watch film, the way our analytics guys are involved, nutritionists are involved, literally top to bottom. That’s something I’m proud of, for sure.”
Young’s playing style has also attracted his current players, who hail from four continents, who want to play at the next level. This includes freshman guard/forward Egor Demin, who joins BYU after spending time with Real Madrid in Spain.
“It was (a) really big part of my decision coming here, right?” Demin said about Young leading the program. “My goal is to play in (the) NBA and having (a) coach who is from there, there’s nothing really better than that. I’m just trying to be a sponge and just absorb everything that he says.”
On the other side, Gard started his coaching career at local high schools when he was still in college at Wisconsin-Platteville. In fact, he was an assistant coach at his alma mater before his graduation in 1995. After spending two seasons as an assistant with Milwaukee, he was hired by Wisconsin in 2001. After spending 14 years as an assistant/associate head coach, he succeeded his mentor, Bo Ryan, in 2015.
A much smaller (geographically speaking) full circle for Gard, whose coaching style and philosophies remains close to his Dairyland roots.
“At the end of the day, it’s about not over complicating the game,” Gard said. “I think the game at times is over coached and under taught. For us, it’s always about keeping it simple, being fundamentally sound on both ends.”
“Getting your college degree is important,” he added. “But I don’t hear that talked about. When was the last time you heard APR (Academic Progress Rate) (and) graduation rates? You don’t hear it, but we still talk about it. For these guys, there’s gonna be a handful that get to play after college and get paid to do so. But for most of them…what are you going to do for the next 60 years of your life? So, (we are) trying to give them perspective.”
Wisconsin advanced to the Round of 32 on Thursday afternoon after an 85-66 victory over Montana on Thursday afternoon. It was a complimentary effort that included five players getting into double figures. With the lead established, Gard pulled his starters to give reserves, such as his son, junior guard Isaac, some playing time in the final minute.
“I can look at it from that lens too as a father,” Gard said about his philosophy. “What I would want a coach telling my son, in helping him and setting him up for life once the air goes out of the ball.”
Gard, who has now led the Badgers to five Round of 32 appearances, looks to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of college sports. This includes the growth of NIL, where his staff has taken a “fundraising approach” to communicate its importance to donors and supporters. While Gard still has the same passion for coaching, it has required him to prioritize other aspects of the program.
“It definitely has changed (from a few years ago),” he said about the landscape of college sports. “You become more of a CEO than a coach. I probably do spend less time on out-of-bounds plays than 10 years ago…You have to evolve and embrace the change.”
The Round of 32 matchup between No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Wisconsin in the East Region will tip off on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. MST at Ball Arena. The Cougars look to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011, while the Badgers look to return there for the first time since 2016. The winner will advance to the Sweet 16 in Newark, NJ and will face either No. 7 Saint Mary’s or No. 2 Alabama.