Monumental point and well documented in the Madison media at the time.
Gard could be on a short leash and may not be around to see his incoming class.
I always thought Gregg Marshall would be a good fit for that job. Wichita State evidently thought so as well as they swiftly "locked up" Marshall
Wisconsin has tough academic standards and has been punching above their weight for a long time. If a former Mr basketball and leading scorer bails in mid season because he is unhappy about how the system works, that can not bode well for Gard.
A side note of this is that a Gard dismissal would also cast aside Dean Oliver, who would then also be scrambling for a job.
TJ Otzelberger would have been a strong possibility, but that ship has sailed. I agree that they won't be able to afford Bennett, but whoever they hire will have the tough task of being dynamic but not to the point of stepping on Barry's ego.
It is no secret that Barry LOVES Ben Jacobson.