Former Badger Kammron Taylor rehabbing torn ACL

It's been seven years since Kammron Taylor played college basketball at the Kohl Center. He, like many Wisconsin alums who graduate, cannot believe how time has flown by since their college days. Taylor's since had the ability to continue playing basketball both overseas and stateside.

"I've definitely been around the world," Taylor said. "I've been to some beautiful countries, been in some great situations. It's been a great seven years."

Following his senior campaign in the 2006-07 season, Taylor crossed the Atlantic Ocean and signed with Spanish team CB L'Hospitalet, where he averaged 15.4 points per game in 34 contests. From there, he played for teams located in Turkey, France (about 30 minutes away from Paris), Hungary, Cypress, Germany and Ukraine, scoring in double figures in each stay.

Taylor also had the opportunity to head south to play for teams down in Columbia and Venezuela in 2011 and 2012.

"It's been a great experience so far," Taylor said.

Taylor hasn't forgotten his Wisconsin roots. Born in Chicago and raised in Minneapolis, Taylor committed to Wisconsin after winning a high school championship for North Community High School. He played from 2003-07, leaving the school 18th in career points scored while playing 119 games and averaging 10.3 points per.

Taylor was also a part of several successful Wisconsin teams. He was a freshman when Wisconsin won its first Big Ten tournament title in 2004 while also setting a then-school record with wins in a season (25). He scored in double digits 10 times during his sophomore season as the Badgers rode a wave of momentum to the Elite 8, ultimately losing to eventual national champion North Carolina.

With a bunch of returning players in 2006-07, Taylor averaged 13.3 points per game as a senior while helping Wisconsin to its first No. 1 ranking in school history and another school record in team wins with 30. The Badgers also earned its highest-ever berth for the NCAA tournament as a No. 2 seed. One moment in particular from that season stands out for Taylor, who ended up earning a second-team All-Big Ten selection that year.

Down one point on Senior Day with 3.9 seconds left, Taylor hit the game-winning three pointer at home against Michigan State to give the Badgers a 52-50 victory.

"Hitting that shot against Michigan State on Senior Day," Taylor said, "that was big for me because I had been struggling a couple of games before then.

"Just getting the chance to go to the tournament all four years of my career at Wisconsin, a lot of guys in the country have not been able to do that."

Taylor still keeps in touch with some former teammates, including Alando Tucker and Greg Stiemsma, who currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. With the Badgers reaching the Final Four this past season, Taylor celebrated with his former Badgers teammates.

"The guys were excited," Taylor said. "Me and [former Badgers guard] Ray [Nixon], we hit each other up on Instagram right after the game to show our excitement for the team and coach Ryan."

Taylor has accomplished a lot off the basketball court, as well. Per his personal website, kammrontaylor.com, he created New Classic Entertainment, which has allowed him to host charity functions in both Miami and Minnesota. He also is a proud father of a 3-year-old son.

Basketball still runs through his veins, though. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and signed on to compete for a roster spot on the Boston Celtics at the start of their 2013 training camp. Though he was released at the end, Taylor joined the Maine Red Claws, the Celtics' NBA D-League affiliate in November. He scored 23 and 19 points in consecutive games in mid-December, but his season was unfortunately cut short due to a torn ACL injury suffered Dec. 28.

He's now back in Madison rehabilitating his knee. His weekly routine involves an intense schedule, often five days a week of rehab for 3.5 hours a day. He can't perform any running or heavy impact exercises yet, as he's still working on strengthening his quad muscle and hamstring.

For now, he's performing light agility exercises. Though the road to recovery is long and trying, Taylor's motivated to regain the physical tools that allowed him to compete in professional basketball since leaving Wisconsin.

"It's a long process," Taylor said. "It's a tough surgery, and you just have to basically retrain your body in the past 20 years, especially what you've been doing the past 20 years of your life, you basically have to retrain yourself.

"It's tough, but I love doing it."