Future UW point guard is already recording assists
Hepburn is a tenacious recruiter for Badgers
MADISON – Chucky Hepburn is at least a year away from joining the Wisconsin men's basketball program but is already one of UW's more tenacious recruiters.
“It has always been a dream of mine to be a recruit and also to recruit other players to go the same school I am going to,” Hepburn said by phone from Omaha, Nebraska. “So just to be able to go out and recruit kids to our school is really a blessing. I really enjoy it.”
Hepburn is among three players who have given UW oral commitments for the 2021 class. The others are South Dakota forward Matthew Mors and Illinois forward Chris Hodges.
His Twitter account reveals his passion for all things UW.
Hepburn did all he could via social media to woo Michigan guard Julian Roper to UW, though Roper eventually chose Northwestern.
When Ohio tight end Jack Pugh shared the date he planned to announce is school of choice, Hepburn chimed in.
“You know what to do,” he wrote on Twitter. His tweet included a picture of former UW safety D'Cota Dixon holding his helmet up high while he pointed to the Motion ‘W' decal.
Two days later, Pugh announced he had committed to UW for the Badgers' 2021 class.
After UW head coach Greg Gard and assistant coach Joe Krabbenoft spoke with Georgia shooting guard Max Hrdlicka, Hepburn tweeted a GIF of the UW bench celebrating during a game at the Kohl Center.
After Illinois shooting guard Louis Lesmond tweeted he had received an
offer from UW for the '21 class, Hepburn tweeted: “let's do it bro 100.”
“I'm still trying to get Hunter Sallis to come up to UW,” Hepburn said of his longtime friend, a combo guard in the 2021 class who appears to favor Kansas or Gonzaga. “But whoever they're recruiting, I'm fine with it.
“I'm just ready to pick the fourth recruit for our class and get going.”
Hepburn's junior season at Bellevue West High School ended just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down college and professional sports from coast to coast.
Hepburn contributed 28 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in a 7960 victory over Omaha Westside in the Class A state semifinals and then helped his team rally for a 6462 victory over Millard North in the title game.
Bellevue West scored the final 16 points of the game to stun Sallis and Millard North. Hepburn hit just 1 of 13 shots in the title game but contributed seven points, seven assists, five rebounds, four steals and outstanding defense late against Sallis.
Had Hepburn ever been part of such a comeback? Yes.
“I can remember 15 games where we've been down 20 with 10 minutes left,” Hepburn said. “We just get together and play ball.”