BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
It's been a season unlike any other, and this year's senior class is still writing its story. While their future plans have yet to be determined, Wisconsin will recognize the senior players on this year's roster on Saturday for Senior Day. Stay tuned following Saturday's game for a behind-the-scenes look at the Senior Day ceremony.
MADISON, Wis. — On his official recruiting visit to the University of Wisconsin campus,
Micah Potter went to lunch with a group of players who would eventually become his new teammates.
Seated at a table with D'Mitrik Trice, Aleem Ford, Nate Reuvers and Brevin Pritzl, Potter felt comfortable in their presence, a consequential selling point for the Ohio State transfer.
"From the get-go, they made me feel at home," Potter said. "They didn't change who they were. They were themselves and they allowed me to be myself. We just got along really well."
Potter appreciated what he labeled as their "openness" in terms of "acceptance" and "who each other are — doesn't matter where you come from, the color of your skin, your religion, anything."
Coupled with an ongoing meshing of personalities, he added, "That openness we have has allowed us to be more together off the court and in the relationships that we have.
"All of these guys are going to be at my wedding. That's the kind of camaraderie we've built."
One that will endure the test of time, he suggested.
"I'm sure everyone is going to have their own professional careers whether in basketball or not in basketball," Potter said. "And I'll be one of the first ones to congratulate them if they have success. And I'll be there for them if they're struggling.
"That's the kind of relationship I've built with these guys. And they've built with me."
The Badgers will bring down the curtain on their home season Saturday at the Kohl Center. Prior to the opening tipoff against Illinois, the seven seniors will be recognized in a nearly empty venue.
Due to COVID protocols, the parents will not take part in a traditional pre-game ceremony and walk their son to center court. But many will be in attendance (two family members per player).
Their presence makes a difference, too, according to senior Trevor Anderson, who said, "When you can look up and see your two parents smiling at you, it definitely means the world."
But this has been an unscripted new world brought on by the pandemic.
"They've handled it as well as you could — obviously, it's not the senior year that they envisioned for me, that we envisioned together," Brad Davison said of his parents, who will make the four-hour drive from Maple Grove, Minnesota to Madison as they have throughout his career here.
"Their favorite part of every season is being able to bring other family members and friends and people from my hometown and younger kids from my community to games at the Kohl Center. That's something my mom loved and my parents enjoyed doing.
"Not being able to do that this year was definitely a bummer. Not being able to come to all the games because of different requirements and regulations has definitely been tough. At the same time, we've been trying to make the most of it. I'm super thankful for the games they've been able to be at.
"There was a time when we didn't know if we were going to have this season. We didn't know if they'd be able to come to any games. We didn't know what this season was going to look like. I'm just very thankful for what this season has become."
Whereas Potter used the words "openness" and "togetherness" to describe Wisconsin's senior class and their collective journey — which for Potter was frustratingly delayed because of NCAA eligibility red tape after transferring — Davison brought up two other words: perspective and gratitude.
They go together, he insisted.
"Gratitude just means being thankful for the opportunity and privilege that we have had for the last four years for me — five years for some of those guys in that locker room — to wear the 'W' and to put that jersey on and play in the Kohl Center and play in front of our fans.
"Not only compete at the highest level, but also get an education from a world-class institution. So, there are so many things to be grateful for. And then perspective is the word that I like to use because obviously there have been a lot of different things basketball-wise we've been through.
"On top of that, there has been a lot of real-life adversity … in trying to keep perspective at your forefront. There are going to be ups and downs in a game of basketball. But there are a lot more important things in life … there are other things in life worthy of your attention."
Davison mentioned all the "hills and valleys and highs and lows" they've encountered.
Fittingly, in this context, Ford cited the word "perseverance" in addressing the journey each one of these seniors has undertaken since Memorial Day weekend, 2019, when a car accident claimed the lives of assistant coach Howard Moore's wife Jennifer, 46, and their 9-year-old daughter Jaidyn.
Moore and son Jerell, then 13, survived the crash.
After Thursday's practice, Ford talked about the necessity "to keep going" and to deal with the off-court challenges head-on — "And persevere through them," he stressed — in the face of such adversity to the Moore family and their teaching mentor who's under long-term care and rehabilitation.
"We've tried to learn from it and really appreciate the little things in life," said Ford, who acknowledged that there are days when he still feels Moore's presence on the court. "His impact is still affecting us and helping us grow each day.
"I definitely wish he was here with us to experience some of these things the last few years (namely a Big Ten championship). He was almost like a father away from home for me personally when I first got here (from Georgia). He taught me a lot of things that have definitely helped me."
Ford and Trice have been partners on the journey since they were both signed out of IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) in late April of 2016. They were Greg Gard's first recruits as the head coach following Gard taking over the program from Bo Ryan who had retired the previous December.
While Ford redshirted as a true freshman, Trice was the UW's leading contributor off the bench in points and minutes played during the 2016-2017 season which was highlighted by an upset victory over No. 1 seed Villanova and a trip to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament.
"For one, we want to go down as winners and to finish out this year strong will definitely be the icing on the cake of that," responded Trice to a question this week about the legacy of this senior class, in his words, to "just show the testimony of what we've been through."
Later, he was prodded for individual examples of their togetherness.
"There's no specific stories that I can think of with this group," Trice said. "But this is one of the most together groups that I've ever been part of on a team. As far as being connected on and off the court, this group truly and genuinely loves each other and we want the best for each other.
"This is an amazing group. A courageous group. A lot of the guys who are now seniors have been through a lot of different things … it's been tough …. I've got to tip my hat to my guys, the fellow seniors. They've been through a lot. Hopefully, we go out with a bang."
Trice's sophomore year ended with a whimper, not a bang. He started the first 10 games before injuring his foot and undergoing surgery. He missed the remainder of the season and the Badgers ended up missing the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998, a streak of 19 consecutive years.
"My freshman year not making the tournament was definitely a disappointment," Davison recalled, "because one reason why I wanted to come here was not to compete to make the NCAA Tournament, but to compete to make runs in the NCAA Tournament …
"And make Sweet 16's and Final Fours and chase championships ... Missing the tournament added an extra motivation or a deeper desire to make sure that we got back to that Wisconsin standard of excellence … to chase after the goals that we set in the program."
Anderson watched that 2017-2018 season unfold and unravel from a seat on the sidelines after transferring from Green Bay. Remembering how it played out, a March sadness, he said, "We definitely talked about that going into the off-season, 'Hey, let's make sure this never happens again.'"
Anderson had his own word for what would happen next.
"Resiliency," he said, "is the biggest word that comes to mind with this group."
The following year, the Badgers won 23 games and returned to the Big Dance.
"But every season is kind of described or remembered by how you finish up," Davison pointed out. "So, getting into the NCAA tournament my sophomore year was definitely a milestone and something we were extremely proud of.
"But not performing the way we would have liked and getting knocked out in the first round (by Oregon) caused an even deeper desire for the guys returning that year — we wanted to get back to that point and make the run that we haven't been fortunate enough to be on yet in the NCAA tourney."
After winning the final eight games of the regular season to claim a share of the Big Ten championship, the Badgers felt like they were on the brink of making that run last March when COVID intervened and sacked the conference and NCAA tournaments.
"There was a lot of stuff that drove us together down that stretch where we were playing for each other," said senior Nate Reuvers who will graduate in four years with two degrees from the UW. "It's not just about winning games. It's about building relationships that we will have forever.
"Coach Moore's situation really brings that to light. Tomorrow is not promised."
But many tomorrows from now, these seniors intend to stay in touch.
"I just think that we've been through a lot," Anderson said, "and we've been through so much together, I don't think we'll ever grow apart completely … we've been able to stay together and lean on each other through these tough times (the pandemic)."
Noted Trice of the COVID landscape and restrictions, "It definitely shows our resilience. It's definitely been tough because we can't do all the normal things we do as a team whether that's hanging out at somebody's place or getting together and going out to eat. Simple things like that."
Every program in the country has dealt with scaled-back interactions and a loss of normality.
Trice reiterated, "It will be part of our testimony at the end of this journey."
Walt McGrory
For now, and potentially forever, they're reveling in what they have together. That includes an unsung member of the senior class, Walt McGrory, whose commitment as a reliable scout team player has not gone unnoticed by his higher profile, tendered teammates.
"It's not just what he brings to the court, but it's what he brings to the locker room," Reuvers said of McGrory, who has appeared in 36 career games and fought his way back this season from an injury. "His timeline to return was something like six months and he was cleared in half that time.
"We all love Walt. We all think Walt is fighting for us."
Echoed Davison, "He's one of those guys that everyone in the locker room loves; everyone wants to be around, everyone wants to hang out with. He has definitely been a huge part of our program the last four years."
Gard has been grateful for the contributions, big or small, from all his seniors.
"The one thing that we've talked about a lot with this group from almost the beginning is, 'Leave your jersey in a better place — make it better than when you got here,'" Gard said. "They've obviously had a lot thrown at them.
"You mention adversity, and nothing was more adverse or has been more life-altering than what they went through with coach Moore and his family. And that's the thing that stands out with this group.
"They've left this place or will leave this place in a very good place from the standpoint of culture and work ethic and the things that this program stands for and has stood for through the years … they've done a good job of really cementing that in place."
Davison amplified that theme.
"That's the goal when you come into a program — you want to leave the jersey in a better place than you found it and you want to continue to build the program," he said. "One thing all the guys are really proud of, the guys in the locker room now are the guys coming in the next couple of years.
"We all helped to recruit them. We all got to host them on visits. We got to Facetime them and text them which meant that we were able to kind of build the program in that direction, too."
Truth is, none of these seniors view Saturday as a final chapter to this season. On the contrary.
"It will be emotional as doors close — our last game in the Kohl Center — with all the memories that we've had in that building," Davison said. "But the best part about it is that we hope our greatest moments are still in front of us the next few weeks here."
The last word might be unfinished.
As in unfinished business.
