Badger Bits: Greg Gard reacts to Lamont Paris leaving UW; spring football roundup

We are in full spring football mode with the Wisconsin Badgers finishing on Tuesday their seventh of 15 sessions that include the spring football game on April 21.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t any basketball talk. With assistant coach Lamont Paris leaving to fill the head coaching vacancy at Chattanooga, head coach Greg Gard has some potential options—many of them having ties to Wisconsin already.

The Wisconsin State Journal’s Jim Polzin highlighted not only who could replace the highly-valued and well-respected Paris, but also the emotional sitdown that transpired between Gard and his now-departed associate head coach this weekend:

Paris and Gard had an emotional conversation late Saturday night in the hotel restaurant after the national semifinal games were over. Both parties had tears in their eyes, according to Gard.

“I knew this day was coming,” Gard said. “I’m happy for him. He was deeply invested not only within the program but the community and the state and everything else. He was invested in it way beyond just being a basketball coach. I think that’s what makes the good ones really good. It goes well beyond the game itself.”

There are plenty of good football features and highlights from spring ball for a team that could be pretty special in the fall. Rather than just listing all of them, here are some that break down certain position groups.

Running backs

ESPN: Badgers running backs intent on releasing 'untapped potential' — Jesse Temple

Sconnie Sports Talk: Wisconsin football: Chris James looks ready in spring ball

Inside linebackers

UWBadgers.com: Spring Ahead: Inside linebackers ‘try something new’ — Mike Lucas

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bostad ecstatic to be back home at Wisconsin — Jeff Potrykus

Offensive line

BadgerNation.com : Wisconsin's offensive line taking on more tasks as spring nears its midpoint ($) — Ben Worgull

Bucky’s Breakfast: Badgers will rally around Quintez Cephus, a player’s take on Wisconsin young OL and more — Zach Heilprin

Tight end

Check out our videos from Tuesday with position coach Mickey Turner and Troy Fumagalli

More from the Wisconsin football beat:

BadgerBlitz.com: Practice Report: Spring fever hits Madison ($) — John Veldhuis

Badger247: Football Insider: Capitalizing on Mistakes ($) — Evan Flood

Madison.com: Badgers football: Wisconsin's Quintez Cephus travels home to be with critically injured father — Jason Galloway