Category Archives: Wisconsin Badgers

Trace Browning: The Man Behind the Camera

The beautiful thing about sports is that the moments and memories they create live on forever.

After Steph Curry’s 50-point eruption in the Golden State Warriors Game 7 win over the upstart Sacramento Kings, a photo of Curry celebrating with a court-side Warriors fan stole the show.

Cameras captured the fan imitating Curry’s infamous ‘Night-Night’ celebration from last season’s title run while Curry leaned with him, shoulders in mid-shimmy, mischievously smiling.

What Do D1 Athletes Do After College?

All athletes dream of going pro, a lucky and talented few compete at the Division-1 level in college. An even luckier and more talented few end up fulfilling their dreams of being professional athletes.

What happens to the athletes that play at a high level in college if they don’t go to the big leagues?

Athletic scholarships are a great way for skilled individuals to get an education without going into debt. Not all athletes get or need scholarships, but it is a well-known fact that there are some specifically for athletes. 

I spoke to different Badgers to see their future plans and experiences balancing schoolwork and sports.

Badger Guard Chucky Hepburn Looking to Take Another Step Forward

While the Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball team had a season that fell short of the standard the program has set in recent years, there is optimism going forward as Wisconsin returns their core players next season, including leading scorer and assist man, Chucky Hepburn. 

Hepburn is coming off an all-Big Ten honorable mention season as a sophomore, following being named to the all-Big Ten freshman team in his first year.  

Hepburn, along with other players returning, realize the special opportunity in front of them with the majority of the roster coming back for next year.

The Journey of D1 Tennis Player Xinyu Cai

Xinyu Cai, a senior from Wuhan, China, is a fierce competitor and loved by her teammates and coach.

Head coach Kelcy McKenna said “she is the most kind human you will ever meet.”

Coach Kelcy remembers one of her players was struggling to find an apartment to live in and Xinyu opened up her home to this girl for  weeks, which “really speaks to who she is as a person.”

A UW Basketball Manager’s Career in Review

Owen Jennings arrived at the tiny Argentine gym with a problem.

Jennings was a manager for his high school basketball team, which had taken a trip from the Bay Area of California to Argentina to run scrimmages and clinics with local clubs and kids. Upon walking into the tiny facility, he was greeted by 300 Spanish-speaking children. He’d run summer camps with kids before, so he knew what drills to run and how to organize the clinic. The only problem, he was the only member of the team or staff that spoke Spanish. 

“I didn’t know I had Spanish in me like that,” Jennings said.

The clinic ran without a hitch, and was one of Jennings’ first major memorable experiences as a basketball manager. 

Converting at the Charity Stripe: Former Badger Gives Back Through Basketball

Rashard Griffith hurried towards the Middleton High School fieldhouse in early November, the sound of dribbling basketballs growing louder with each step.

Team tryouts began at 4:00 and Griffith’s phone read 4:30.

Joining a new team was practically second nature to Griffith, who played for ten different professional clubs across the world. The star center’s playing days, however, were far behind him.

The Pursuit of Happiness or Greatness 

Happiness or greatness? For some people, there is a clear-cut answer.

“I’d rather do what I need to do and enjoy myself comfortably than put myself through hell to be first,” or “I can’t sleep at night unless my final product is perfect.” 

However, today’s story will show why that question does not have such a black-and-white answer, and how maybe there really isn’t a difference between the two.