Former Wisconsin basketball player Walt McGrory dies at 24 after battling bone cancer

Walt McGrory, a guard for the Wisconsin men’s basketball team from 2017-21, has died after a battle with bone cancer. He was 24.

A message posted Monday on McGrory’s Instagram account announced that he had died Saturday.

McGrory appeared in 37 games off the bench over four seasons at Wisconsin and was part of the 2019-20 team 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 battle with cancer through frequent updates on social media.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Walt McGrory,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said Monday in a statement. “The courage and fight that Walt demonstrated throughout his two-year battle with cancer was an inspiration to us all. Walt never quit. Instead, he chose to fight every day and made the most of his circumstances by sharing his journey and inspiring others. Walt was a beloved member of our team and the Badger family, and we will miss him dearly.”

McGrory arrived at Wisconsin after scoring a school-record 2,216 career points at Edina (Minnesota) High School. He was a team captain his junior and senior season and averaged 26.3 points, eight rebounds and six assists his final year at Edina. He turned down a handful of scholarship offers from mid-major programs to walk on at Wisconsin.