Former College Basketball Star Walt McGrory Dead at 24
PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 05: Wisconsin Badgers guard Walt McGrory (3) during the first half of the College Basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Wisconsin Badgers on January 5, 2018, at the Louis Brown Athletic Center in Piscataway, NJ. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Walt McGrory, a former guard on the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team, passed away on Saturday, Dec. 16. He was just 24 years old.
His family announced his death on his Instagram account on Monday, Dec. 18, revealing that he'd lost his battle with osteosarcoma, which is a bone cancer that affects the osteoblasts, or cells that form bone, most often found in children, adolescents, and young adults, according to Johns Hopkins.
"Walt became one with the Divine on Saturday, December 16, 2023," the statement began. "His soul was freed to continue his great mission - to live and help others live full, healthy lives. Walt has always known there is something greater out there. Something with the full power to shape the world."
It continued, "His journey with osteosarcoma was not easy, but it helped him find that ultimate power source. He never gave up on his belief that he and others just like him could heal themselves. His mission has not changed. He is still providing inspiration, love, and fight to those who need it. But now he is doing it with the whole power of the universe behind him. Whenever you need more strength in your life, open your heart and Walt will be there."
The athlete intended to transfer from Wisconsin to the University of South Dakota for his final season, but his diagnosis—which came in Aug. 2021 and appears to have come after one of several hip surgeries McGrory underwent throughout his career—meant that he wouldn't be able to play.
In mid-2022 he went into remission, but after just three months found that the cancer was not only back, but had metastasized elsewhere in his body.
By September 2023, McGrory revealed that he'd exhausted all approved treatments for his type of cancer, launching a GoFundMe to help him cover experimental options.
According to ESPN, McGrory appeared in 37 games between 2017 and 2021. In the 2019-2020 season, the team won a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. In high school he scored a record 2,216 career points, and served as team caption his junior and senior years.
In a statement issued Monday, Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said, "Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Walt McGrory. 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."
