Wisconsin upset Purdue in the Big Ten tournament semifinals game in Minneapolis on Saturday afternoon, and Badgers coach Greg Gard was hyped up after the win.
Gard wanted the Badgers to keep their energy level high heading into the title game on Sunday, and the words he chose for his postgame speech in the locker room were sharp.
“I’ve been part of a lot of, almost 25 years, amazing battles, in this league, in this tournament, in the NCAA tournament. That may be one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Gard said. “It’s you guys sticking together, coming together, picking each other up. I mean, raise your hand if you fouled out.”
“We aren’t done yet,” Gard reminded the Badgers.
Gard and the team then broke out into a celebration dance as House of Pain’s Jump Around played in the background.
A video of the coach giving this postgame locker room speech went viral on Sunday as Gard’s positive message made the rounds online, and it caught the eye of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders.
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Sanders, who’s had his fair share of inspirational locker room speeches, praised Gard for his words.
“I absolutely Love it. God bless you Coach & your Team!!!!” Sanders tweeted.
I absolutely Love it. God bless you Coach & your Team!!!! https://t.co/5UCFQq0VZg
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) March 17, 2024
The Badgers (22–13) lost Sunday’s Big Ten tournament championship game to Illinois but later earned a No. 5 seed in the South Region of this year’s NCAA tournament. Wisconsin will play 12th-seeded James Madison (31–3) on Friday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
