By Paul Erickson, UWP Sports Information Director

UW-Platteville's Jeff Gard admitted he had a few butterflies in the stomach prior to the first practice Sunday, but he also had pretty good people to help calm those.

"There were a few leading up to it, but I took a lot of time talking with Coach (Bo) Ryan this past weekend and watching the Badgers practice to see how he handles things," the first-year Pioneer head coach said. "I spent time with Greg (Gard, UW assistant and Jeff's brother) and Coach (Ron) Rainey. I also had the opportunity to watch Coach (Scott) Skiles with the Bucks to see how he does things. It definitely helped prepare me and also get some of ideas on how I want to structure practices. On the flip side, I know I have to put in my own ideas and how I want it."

After six years as an assistant, Gard ran his first practice as the head coach Sunday, taking the reigns of one of the most storied programs in NCAA Division III. He replaces Paul Combs, who led the Pioneers to a 23-6 record and the school's first NCAA III appearance since Bo Ryan led the school to he last of the four national championships in 1999.

And the best advice to the newest Pioneer coach?

"Just be yourself," Gard said. "Don't worry about what's been done in the past. The past is obviously great; we have a motto this year: 'respect the past, respresent the future.' We know what's been done here before, and we're very appreciative of that, but now it's time for this team to make its trademark. We had a lot of success last year, but we can only talk about that so much. Last year doesn't win games this year. Guys need to make their own trademark on the program."

The Pioneers began the 2009-10 practices with attention to fundamentals, and Gard said the team is off to a good start.

"We have a great group of student-athletes coming back, and from those upperclassmen, we are getting great leadership," Gard said. "I've been really pleased with the intensity they brought into practice. They're great to work with, and that makes our job easier. They're good listeners, and they're quick to pick things up."

Not only were graduating players Jeff Skemp, Charlie Lohoff, Kyle Tetschlag, and Bo Richter standouts for their play, but also for their leadership, Gard said, and he was anxious to see who would assume those positions.

"We have Curt Hanson, Nick Allen, Eric Wall, and Mike Shaw stepping into those roles," Gard said. "There's a learning process with that, and we have to understand that as a team, too. How everybody fills their roles and how everybody reacts to each other will make us that much stronger."

Hanson is a two-time all-WIAC player and preseason all-American who averaged 13.9 points per game, and Shaw averaged 13.4 and Allen 6.1. All three shot better than 40 percent from beyond the three-point line, while inside player Wall averaged 4.7 ppg playing all 29 games.

"I'm excited with what we have coming back offensively," Gard said, "and that was my first statement to the team when we got on the floor. There's a lot of offensive power in this room, but we can't always control what happens on the offensive end of the floor. Our goal is to become a stronger defensive team and build on those solid defensive fundamentals that Coach Combs established here and what was established through the years. Platteville's trademark is tough, defensive-minded basketball."