Former Wisconsin guard McGrory passes away at 24

Dec 18, 2023, 09:37 PM ET

Walt McGrory, a guard for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team from 2017 to 2021, has passed away after a battle with bone cancer. He was 24.

A message published Monday on McGrory’s Instagram account announced that he had passed away Saturday.McGrory appeared in 37 games off the bench over four seasons at Wisconsin and was part of the 2019-20 group that won a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. McGrory announced plans to transfer to South Dakota in April 2021 but was diagnosed with osteosarcoma later that year. McGrory had detailed his fight with cancer through frequent updates on social media.”Our hearts and prayers go out to the friends and family of Walt McGrory,”Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said Monday in a declaration.

“The nerve and battle that Walt demonstrated throughout his two-year fight with cancer was an inspiration to all of us. Walt never gave up. Instead, he picked to combat every day and made the most of his circumstances by sharing his journey and motivating others. Walt was a beloved member of our group and the Badger household, and we will miss him very much. “McGrory reached Wisconsin after scoring a school-record 2,216 career points at Edina(Minnesota)High School. He was a group captain his junior and senior season and averaged 26.3 points, 8 rebounds and 6 helps his last year at Edina. He turned down a handful of scholarship deals from mid-major programs to walk on at Wisconsin.