Wisconsin basketball: Trevor Anderson, Walt McGrory join Badgers as walk-ons

Two new guards will be a part of the 2017-18 Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball squad.

Sophomore transfer Trevor Anderson and freshman Walt McGrory will officially join the Wisconsin program as walk-ons, head coach Greg Gard announced via press release on Wednesday.

Anderson announced on May 3 his intention to transfer to Wisconsin from UW-Green Bay, where he started the first 20 games of the 2016-17 season averaging 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per contest before a back injury shelved the rest of his freshman campaign.

The Stevens Point, Wis., native committed to the Phoenix after an illustrious prep career in which he earned various honors his senior season, including Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball, Associated Press (AP) Player of the Year, and the Wisconsin Hall of Fame Male Athlete of the Year award.

The 6’2, 180-pound Anderson led Stevens Point Area Senior High School (“SPASH,” a program that currently features Wisconsin 2018 target Joey Hauser) to consecutive WIAA Division I State Championships in 2015 and 2016, with the teams that he played on losing only six games (100-6 career mark). He is the school’s all-time leading scorer (2,360 points).

He will have to sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

From Edina, Minn., the 6’3, 195-pound McGrory averaged over 26.3 points, eight rebounds, and six assists per game while, like Anderson, becoming the leading scorer in his school’s history.

According to UW, McGrory chose to walk on and play in Madison instead of accepting scholarship offers from five Division I basketball programs, including Brown, Drake, Furman, Maine, and South Dakota State. He earned team captain honors for his junior and senior years and began his high school varsity career as an eighth grader.

Here’s the official press release from the Wisconsin athletic department:

MADISON, Wis. – Head coach Greg Gard announced on Wednesday that sophomore transfer Trevor Anderson and freshman Walt McGrory have been admitted to the University of Wisconsin and will walk on to the men’s basketball team. The duo joins freshmen Brad Davison (Maple Grove, Minn.), Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis.) and Nathan Reuvers (Lakeville, Minn.) to give the Badgers five newcomers for the 2017-18 season.

Trevor Anderson (6-2, 180, Guard | Stevens Point Area HS, Stevens Point, Wis.)

Anderson transferred to UW after playing one season at Green Bay. During his freshman campaign, the Stevens Point, Wis., native started the first 20 games of the season before a back injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. He averaged 9.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game with the Phoenix, shooting 40.0 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from 3-point range.

As a prep, Anderson finished as the all-time leading scorer in Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) history with 2,360 points, the eighth-most points in the history of Wisconsin high school basketball. His teams compiled a 100-6 career record, including back-to-back WIAA Division I State Championships in 2015 and 2016. As a senior in 2016, Anderson was named Wisconsin’s Mr. Basketball, AP Player of the Year and recognized with the Wisconsin Hall of Fame Male Athlete of the Year award after averaging 24.6 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 64.0 percent from the floor and 55.0 percent from 3-point range.

Walt McGrory (6-3, 195, Guard | Edina High School, Edina, Minn.)

The leading scorer in Edina High School history with 2,126 career points, McGrory put together a big senior season, averaging 26.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. A four-time All-Lake Conference honoree, McGrory served as team captain as both a junior and senior and was the Edina Scholar Athletic Award winner in 2017. McGrory began his Varsity career as an eighth grader and went on to earn five varsity basketball letters. He will walk-on at Wisconsin after turning down scholarship offers from five NCAA Division I programs, including Brown, Drake, Furman, Maine and South Dakota State.