The Wisconsin Badgers had a sellout crowd against the Iowa Hawkeyes over the weekend, and the fans came out with energy, which definitely was a factor in the team’s 84-71 win at the Kohl Center on Sunday.
After the game, head coach Greg Gard made sure to credit the fans for the sellout and their energy in his opening comments, as the Badgers are winding down their home schedule.
“First of all, I want to give a shoutout to our fans,” Gard said postgame. “I thought they were loud and into it and energetic
again to have another— I think another sellout. And they sounded like it was sold out. So just want to give a thank you to them. And let’s load it back up again when we come back in here in another week.”
Guard Nick Boyd, who dazzled with 27 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, was electric and made sure to engage the fans after any positive swing of momentum for the Badgers. Being in Madison for just one year, Boyd has quickly embraced the fanbase, which has certainly done so in return as well.
“It’s been a good year, wrapping up in the Kohl Center. Only one more left. Obviously, I just love the environment,” Boyd said. “The Kohl Center has been awesome, and we got one more— job not done yet. We still got one more here to close out. But their energy is contagious, you know, it helps our team play better. And when they’re fired up, I’m fired up, and usually we win. So it’s the goal.”
While the Kohl Center crowd has occasionally drawn criticism for its energy levels during games, Boyd and the Badgers have looked to put on a show at home this season, where Wisconsin has gone 14-2 this season. The energy was especially seen in the team’s last two games against Michigan State and Iowa.
The Badgers have one more home game this year before postseason play, as they’ll take on the Maryland Terrapins next Wednesday in their second-to-last game of the season. We’ll see if the crowd can continue their energy in that one.
