Tag: Sam Dekker

Sam Dekker and Jordan Taylor win British Basketball League title

Sam Dekker and Jordan Taylor win British Basketball League title

A pair of former Badgers became league champions this weekend when the London Lions took home the British Basketball League title.

Sam Dekker and Jordan Taylor are members of the Lions team that clinched the title with six games remaining in the regular season. Dekker is the leading scorer, averaging 17.6 points per game. Taylor leads the team in assists per game, averaging 5.3.

Wisconsin basketball showed love to the two former Badgers as they clinched the championship on Saturday. Through 30 games, the Lions are 27-3. No other team in the league has more than 21 wins.

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Sam Dekker gives his opinion on Wisconsin basketball’s 2022-23 season

Sam Dekker gives his opinion on Wisconsin basketball’s 2022-23 season

One of Wisconsin’s all-time greats recently gave his opinion on the Badgers’ 2022-23 basketball season.

It was a year that didn’t go how any Badger wanted it to: Wisconsin fell short of an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Dekker spoke to Betway about the season and how Wisconsin should move forward.

“I think experience in a rare down year may be the wake-up call the program needs,” Dekker told Betway.

“It hopefully lights a fire in the players that do not want to have this feeling again. The transfer portal can certainly be an asset here in bringing some experience. I think Wisconsin should be a destination for a lot of talent. A lot of guys should want to play at Wisconsin. It’s an amazing city and an amazing program with a winning identity and a winning culture.”

Wisconsin men’s basketball all-time roster: Badger Legends

A look at the best Wisconsin Badger basketball players of all-time

Over the past few decades, Wisconsin basketball has been one of the most successful programs in the nation.

The Badgers have had greats at all five positions, a legendary head coach in Bo Ryan, and a trio of Final Four appearances since 2000.

We put together Wisconsin’s all-time starting five, backup five, and coaching staff to put the Badgers’ impressive history into perspective.

There were a number of easy choices such as National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky, and ones that are sure to spark fair debate amongst Badger nation.

Here is a look at our BadgersWire all-time Wisconsin basketball roster:

Watch: Badger legend interviews Jordan Davis on season

Jordan Davis went on former Badger Sam Dekker’s “Varsity Beat” show on Thursday, answering questions on how the year has gone for the team.

Jordan Davis went on former Badger Sam Dekker’s “Varsity Beat” podcast on Thursday, answering questions on how the season has gone for the Badgers.

After starting the year blazing hot and putting up an 11-2 record over their first 13 contests, Wisconsin saw their season quickly come back to Earth. Partially due to injuries sustained by Tyler Wahl (ankle) and Max Klesmit (upper body), the Badgers found themselves 12-8 entering February.

Since the start of the month, the team has gone 4-3 and has been treading water when it comes to their National Tournament hopes, being considered one of the Last Four In by ESPN in their most recent

Davis (5.8 PPG) recounted what the rollercoaster season has been like for him and his teammates.

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Former Badgers F Sam Dekker Signs With The London Lions

Former Badgers star Sam Dekker is headed across the pond next season:

On Sunday, former Badgers star Sam Dekker officially signed a contract with The London Lions of the British Basketball League, which is the top tier in British basketball for the upcoming season.

Last season, Dekker signed a one-year deal with the Toronto Raptors but made just one appearance before he was released. He would finish the year in Turkey playing for the Bahcesehir basketball club, averaging 13.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

The former Sheboygan Lutheran High School standout, who was drafted No. 18 overall in 2015, spent four seasons in the NBA, appearing in 201 total games for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, and the Toronto Raptors.

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Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion, and analysis. You can also follow Dillon Graff on Twitter @DillonGraff.

Team Ingold tops Team Dekker 20-12 in the first annual Battle 4 Wisconsin

Team Ingold wins the first annual Battle 4 Wisconsin charity softball game:

On Saturday night, former Badgers alumni Alec Ingold and Sam Dekker hosted the first annual Battle 4 Wisconsin charity softball game in Madison at Warner Park.

The game, held at The Duck Pond, featured many famous Wisconsin football and basketball alumni, both past and present – with proceeds going to the Ingold Family Foundation.

“It was time to raise some money and give that back to different foster care families, different organizations that help with financial literacy and professional development,” Ingold told Mike Lucas of UWBadgers.com.

The evening kicked off with a cumulative home run derby, pitting the football and basketball programs against one another.

Team Ingold would win the derby 53-47 behind standout performances from former Badgers Alec Ingold and Taylor Mehlhaff – making them the home team for the event.

Every Wisconsin Badger selected in the NBA draft since 1980

The Badgers selected in the NBA draft since 1980

With Johnny Davis becoming the latest Badger to be selected in the NBA draft, let’s take a look back at the history of Wisconsin basketball draft choices.

On Thursday evening, the La Crosse native became the first Badger selected since 2015 when Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker ended up being first-round picks.

Since 1980, there have been 18 Badgers selected in the NBA draft. Of those 18 players, 9 were selected in the first round, with the highest pick landing at No. 5 overall.

Since 2000, there have been 6 selections, with five being first-round picks. Here is a look at the complete history of Badgers in the NBA draft since 1980:

Sam Dekker weighs in on officiating from the 2015 national championship

Sam Dekker weighs in on the officiating from the 2015 national championship against Duke:

If you’re a fan of the Wisconsin men’s basketball program, you’ve likely never endured a greater heartbreak than the Badgers 68-63 loss to Duke in the 2015 national title game. 

It seemed as though UW was a team of destiny, chosen by the basketball gods to surprise the college basketball world and make history along the way.

National title game recap:

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – APRIL 06: The Wisconsin Badgers look on after being defeated by the Duke Blue Devils during the NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 6, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Duke defeated Wisconsin 68-63. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Knotted up at 31 a piece at half-time, Wisconsin jumped out to a 48-39 advantage in the first seven minutes of the second half – things were looking up for the good guys. However, Duke would tie things up at 54 all with just seven minutes to play.

There is no good reason to rehash how those final seven minutes went, but it’s worth noting that of the 20 free throws Duke attempted (twice as many as UW), 16 of them came in the second half. 

Earlier today, Sam Dekker took to twitter to give his take on the officiating in the 2015 national title game: 

And while this is a rational, informed take, I choose to live in denial because it hurts too much to admit otherwise. Justice touched it.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

WATCH: Sam Dekker reflects on winning 2022 FIBA Europe Cup

The Badger legend is a 2022 FIBA Europe Cup champion

Earlier this week, Wisconsin basketball legend Sam Dekker became a 2022 FIBA European Cup champion as his Turkish squad Bahcesehir College came out victorious.

It was the culmination of wild year for the former Badger, as he began the season in the NBA with the Toronto Raptors before being cut and finding himself overseas.

After winning the 2022 European Cup, Dekker took to Twitter to share his thoughts on a championship and overcoming adversity in his professional career. After spending the first four seasons of his professional career in the NBA, Dekker has bounced around overseas along with his short stint in Toronto:

Sam Dekker wins 2022 FIBA Europe Cup with Bahçeşehir Koleji

The Badger legend wins a championship overseas

A tumultuous professional year for Wisconsin basketball legend Sam Dekker ended in triumph this week.

After getting another NBA shot with the Toronto Raptors before the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season, Dekker was cut shortly thereafter and found his way to the Turkish Super League.

The former Badger found himself with Bahcesehir Koleji in Istanbul, a team that participates in one of Europe’s biggest basketball competitions, the FIBA Europe Cup.

Dekker’s team finished off Italian squad Reggio Emilia over the two-game championship round to win the 2022 FIBA Europe Cup. It was the first ever trophy win in club history.

Over 17 games this season, Dekker has averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game while shooting over 48% from the field.