One of the most iconic players in Wisconsin basketball history earned a spot in the UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026.
The 12-person class, which was revealed by Wisconsin Interim Director of Athletics Marcus Sedberry at Camp Randall Stadium, spans across nine sports and includes over 15 All-American honors. A year removed from seeing icon Frank Kaminsky inducted, the men’s basketball program will officially witness former Badger forward Sam Dekker join the list of luminaries.
After being named Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at Sheboygan Lutheran High School, the in-state product joined the Badgers ahead of the 2012 season. Despite starting just three games during his first season, he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman and received honorable mention All-Big Ten honors under Bo Ryan.
Dekker started all 38 games as a sophomore in 2014 and was named to the Second Team All-Big Ten (coaches). The Badgers reached the national semifinals that season with Dekker in the fold, the first of two Final Four finishes during his time with UW.
The former Badger exploded during the NCAA Tournament as a junior, posting a career-best 27 points in UW’s Elite Eight win over Arizona in 2015 to earn the NCAA West Region’s Most Outstanding Player honor. Dekker would score 16 against the Kentucky Wildcats to send Wisconsin to the title game against Duke, and he declared for the 2015 NBA Draft shortly thereafter. When he departed Madison, Dekker finished his career at No. 15 in Wisconsin history with 1,363 points.
He will now join Kaminsky, Alando Tucker, Michael Finley, Bo Ryan, and Ab Nicholas as former basketball giants to earn a spot in UW’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball legend included in UW Athletic Hall of Fame
Reporting by Mike Hall, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
