Sports

Update 9/2/24 @ 8:40 a.m. – CBS Channel 58 stated that “Chris Davis’s brother confirmed Chris passed away from a heart condition he did not know about during his playing career. Reggie Davis called Chris his big little brother. Reggie Davis said, “He was a great man who gave his all to the youth.”

By Angela Kelm
Asst. Athletic Director for Sports Information

Chris Davis Sr., a standout student-athlete for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men’s basketball team who was the 2012 NCAA Division III National Player of the Year, passed away Saturday, Aug. 31.

A native of Madison, Davis played at UW-Whitewater from 2010-12 and elevated the program almost immediately upon arrival. The 2011-12 Warhawks claimed the program’s third-ever national championship, reaching a height it hadn’t achieved in more than two decades.

Davis was a fixture in Madison’s basketball community, most recently serving as head boys basketball coach at Sun Prairie West High School. His son, Chris Davis Jr., was the state’s leading scorer as a junior at Sun Prairie West in 2023-24.

“Chris was one of the greatest players in the history of the Warhawk men’s basketball program,” head coach Jarod Wichser said. “His accomplishments during his time at UW-Whitewater are truly remarkable. Yet, when I think about Chris and his legacy, I will think about what an incredible father he was to Chris Jr. as well as the impact he made on so many young lives within the communities he served.”

Davis averaged 22.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game on 54.9 percent shooting from the floor, 41.1 percent from 3-point range, and 89.0 percent from the free-throw line during the 2011-12 season. He garnered Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year and consensus first team All-America accolades, and became UW-Whitewater’s first-ever national player of the year when D3hoops.com selected him as its top honoree.

After the Warhawks won the WIAC regular season championship and reached the NCAA Tournament, Davis helped the team earn five straight double-digit for a berth in the national championship game. He registered a team-best 12 points in the final contest to help UW-Whitewater erase a double-digit deficit and defeat Cabrini, 63-60. He earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.

“Chris was the ultimate competitor and an extraordinary athlete,” said Pat Miller, the Warhawks’ head coach from 2001-23. “A national champion in two sports, Chris’s priority was always doing what was needed to win. He was one of the most passionate and gifted players I ever coached. He overcame adversity and developed both personally and athletically into the national player of the year.

“Chris’s passion for sports was extraordinary, but secondary to the love he had for his son, Chris Jr., who was the most important person in his life. He was an amazing parent and a tireless advocate for the many students he mentored and helped.

“Chris wore his emotions on his sleeve and owned who he was. It is impossible to express the sadness I have for this loss. I send my deepest condolences to his family and friends. All who knew Chris are better for it.”

A two-time first team all-conference honoree during his career, Davis finished with 1,242 points during his two seasons with the program. In 2021, he was named to D3hoops.com’s All-Decade Team for 2010-20.

Davis was also a two-year tight end for the UW-Whitewater football team, helping the team capture the national championship in 2013.

“Warhawk Nation lost one of the best to ever put on a purple and white uniform,” director of athletics Ryan Callahan said. “He was a special player and a great person. Chris stayed connected to the program and would always attend the alumni events with his son. His story is a special one and we are grateful that we were able to be part of it.

“Chris continued to give back to the community and the game he loved after he left Whitewater. Our hearts to go out to everyone close to Chris, especially his son.”

This story will be updated with funeral arrangement information as it becomes available.

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Attached photos courtesy of UW-Whitewater athletics.

An article by Ben Pickman in The Athletic (a New York Times publication) on August 28 was titled “Welcome to UW-Whitewater, the bedrock of the U.S. Paralympic wheelchair basketball teams.” Excerpts of the story, which is behind a paywall, are shown below.

“The scuff and skid marks help tell the story. Of collisions, of wheelchairs tipping over, of abrupt stops, pivots, and turns. The banners on the walls around the court’s perimeter serve as a complement to those tales — of a World Championships in Amsterdam, of a Parapan-Am Games in Toronto, of the 2012 London Paralympics, of the three women’s and 14 men’s collegiate national titles.

From the outside, the Roseman Building…looks like another indistinguishable administrative hall….But “Roseman,” as its inhabitants call it, is home to some of the best wheelchair basketball players in the United States….It is one of the most understated venues used by high-level athletes.

…As the Paralympic Games get underway in Paris, the core of the U.S. wheelchair basketball program has roots in the school and the Roseman Building.

Of the 12 members on Team USA men’s wheelchair basketball squad, six are alumni of UW-Whitewater, the most of any university. The women’s team has two players, and one alternate, who competed collegiately at UW-Whitewater…Two alums will play for Germany and another is on the Netherlands roster.

That a university with Division III athletics, and a student body of around 11,000 (more than 1,300 of which have disabilities) became a leader in the wheelchair basketball space stems from serendipity.

In the early 1970s, only a few programs provided services to students with disabilities across America. Less than a half-dozen had wheelchair basketball teams.

John Truesdale was working for Wisconsin’s division of vocational rehabilitation when UW-Whitewater received grant money to support students with disabilities. Shortly after, he was brought into the university to address campus accessibility needs, eventually starting the school’s disabled student services office — which then served around 10 students — and its adaptive recreation program.

Truesdale played stand-up basketball recreationally throughout his youth but had no prior coaching experience. Nevertheless, he took over the sideline duties…. A group of non-disabled students practiced with them because they liked the competition. “I really didn’t know anything,” Truesdale said. “It wasn’t anything that I did as much as it was students and staff buying into it because they saw the need.”

The existence of the program was a starting point.

Shortly after the program’s launch, the university rewrote its mission statement and committed to developing and providing services for students with disabilities. Its intentions were clear. Buy-in followed. “Interest spread throughout the entire campus,” Truesdale says. “It was somewhat unique.” Nowadays, more than 12 percent of Whitewater students use the services offered by the center for students with disabilities on campus.

…..Talen Jourdan represents this generation. Jourdan is from nearby Deerfield. He didn’t know much about the program’s history when he enrolled. But he does now. And on top of the tales of those before him, he appreciates that the men’s team has their own locker room, space for chairs, and a weight room.

Jourdan’s hands are full of calluses and his forearms have countless scars because he uses them to help brake. The marks have been worth it. This spring, he learned he had made his first Paralympic team.

While the U.S. women are looking to win their first gold since 2016, the men are seeking a third consecutive title and to complete the first Paralympic three-peat in men’s wheelchair basketball. “It would mean a lot to everybody,” says Jourdan, who graduated from Whitewater in May…“I love playing at Whitewater because everybody knows about wheelchair basketball and the success the program’s had.”

A comment made by a reader of The Athletic:

Bruce G.
Thanks for the great article celebrating UW-Whitewater. Both of our boys swam at UWW but went to wheelchair basketball games and had their players come to their meets. I remember watching wheelchair basketball games during tournaments UWW would host and being in awe of the athletes. Our experience at UWW was all athletes from all the sports fully supported each other.

When are the U.S. wheelchair basketball teams in action?

Men’s fixtures

• Aug 29: vs Spain (10am ET) US 66 / Spain 56
• Aug 31: vs Netherlands (9 am CDT) — US 60 / Netherlands 34
• Sep 1: vs Australia (3.30am CDT) — “Digital only”
• Sep 3: quarterfinals (Begin 6:45 am CDT)
  Sep 5: semifinals; Sep 7: bronze medal match and gold medal match

Women’s fixtures

• Aug 30: vs Germany (9 am CDT) US 73 / Germany 44
• Aug 31: vs Netherlands (11.15 am CDT) – Netherlands 69 / US 56
• Sep 2: vs Japan (6.45 am CDT) – Broadcast on USA
• Sep 4: quarterfinals; Sep 6: semifinals; Sep 8: bronze medal match and gold medal match

How do I watch the Games?

Live coverage of the opening ceremony will be shown on USA Network at 12pm CDT. Then on every sporting day, starting on Thursday, August 29, USA Network will provide coverage of the most exciting events, including live finals. Streaming service Peacock will also broadcast around 1,500 hours across all 22 sports throughout the 12-day event, including the hugely popular ‘Gold Zone’ whip-around show.

NBC will have three primetime windows: Friday, August 30 at 8pm CDT; Sunday, September 1 at 6pm CDT; and Friday, September 6 at 8 pm CDT, while CNBC will present live action each weekend. NBCParalympics.com will have the most up-to-date listings and information for viewers in the States.

The Paralympics YouTube channel will also provide live coverage, replays, highlights, creator content and athlete features.

A comment made by a reader of The Athletic:

Bruce G.
Thanks for the great article celebrating UW-Whitewater. Both of our boys swam at UWW but went to wheelchair basketball games and had their players come to their meets. I remember watching wheelchair basketball games during tournaments UWW would host and being in awe of the athletes. Our experience at UWW was all athletes from all the sports fully supported each other.

Person	Team	Role	At UW-W
Jake Williams	USA Men	Player	Former student athlete
AJ Fitzpatrick	USA Men	Player	Current student athlete
Talen Jourdan	USA Men	Player	Former student athlete
John Boie	USA Men	Player	Former student athlete; Current academic advisor
Nate Hinze	USA Men	Player	Former student athlete
Jeromie Meyer	USA Men	Player	Former student athlete
Becca Murray	USA Women	Player	Former student athlete
Lindsey Zurbrugg	USA Women	Player	Former student athlete
Christine Schwab	USA Women	Head coach	Former women’s coach; Manager Learning Communities Program
Desiree Miller	USA Women	Asst coach	Former student athlete
Sammy White	Australia Men	Player	Former student athlete
Mareike Miller	Germany Women	Player	Former student athlete
Vanessa Erskine	Germany Women	Player	Former student athlete
Mariska Beijer	Netherlands Women	Player	Former student athlete

The annual Whitewater Whippet Cross Country water softener salt fundraiser is currently accepting orders! This wildly popular fundraiser looks to take the less-than-exciting chore of going to the store, loading bags of salt, and heading to the register before loading them into your vehicle. Let’s not forget the unloading at home and taking them down your stairs. What a hassle, but not anymore!

The team hopes the heaviest thing you lift when buying salt this year is your pen as you write a check to let us do all the hauling and stacking at your home. Check out the sales flyer linked below to find out all the details about the price per bag and delivery date. We will accept orders through Friday, August 30th. If you have any questions, reach out to any athlete on the team or to Coach Chad Carstens at ccarstens@wwusd.org

A special thank you to Dalee Water Conditioning for supplying the salt for our event!

Link to flyer: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RNE1_bdszMsmXri7aZB69flYgOB7PvX_9oLNju6_A0E/edit?usp=sharing