A quick primer before I dive into this new BadgersWire series: It has been a tumultuous 24 hours not only for sports, but for the world. Instead of focusing on all of the negative media and cancelations, in this series I want to try and help us think of the memorable moments that defined the 2019-20 Badgers. This will not be a top-10 ranking of the best moments of the season from 10-1. Instead, I will go chronologically through the year and find ten moments that made 2019-20 unforgettable for Wisconsin basketball. Each moment will be accompanied by a word that describes this 2019-20 Badger basketball team, and in this first installment that word is family.
The Badger season began with tragedy. An unimaginable, tragic car accident claimed the lives of assistant coach Howard Moore’s daughter and wife, leaving him and his son injured. Moore’s 13-year old son, Jerell, needed a family around him in the months that followed. Wisconsin basketball was that family.
The Badgers wore shooting shirts all year with their motto: Do Moore. Be Moore. 4 Moore. UW also wore a jersey patch with the names of Moore’s wife and nine-year-old daughter, Jen and Jaidyn. The patch also included the words “4Moore.” In the locker room, after Wisconsin defeated Indiana to win the Big Ten regular season title, Greg Gard quickly reminded his Badgers that their 60-56 win ended with a winning margin of four. The Moore family was with Wisconsin basketball all year long.
Perhaps no moment all season was more impactful than what took place back on November 8th, during the starting lineup introductions for Wisconsin’s home opener against Eastern Illinois. Wearing his very own Badger jersey, Jerell Moore was included in the starting lineup and received the largest ovation of the night.
This is why sports are special:
Assistant coach Howard Moore lost his daughter and wife in a May car accident. He survived along with his son, Jerrell.
Tonight @BadgerMBB announced Jerrell as part of the starting lineup: pic.twitter.com/GFHN3Z2IXP
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) November 9, 2019
The Badgers went on to defeat the Panthers by 13, but the win and the score seemed largely irrelevant that evening. Wisconsin basketball gave Jerell a home, not only that night but all season long. It was a moment nobody at the home opener would soon forget. It defined one word that described Badger basketball this season: Family.