The greater Madison community is still in mourning over the death of Chris Davis Sr., a Madison basketball legend and the 2012 NCAA Division III national player of the year for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, who passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Aug. 31. He was 36 years old.
Davis Sr. was a star athlete at Madison East High School, graduating in 2007, before leading the UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team. He helped both the UW-Whitewater’s football and basketball teams win national titles. He would later become a coach and a mentor to many youths in the Madison area.
“Chris was one of the greatest players in the history of the Warhawk men’s basketball program,” UW-Whitewater head coach Jarod Wichser said in a university press release. “His accomplishments during his time at UW-Whitewater are truly remarkable. Yet, when I think about Chris and his legacy, I will think about what an incredible father he was to Chris Jr. as well as the impact he made on so many young lives within the communities he served.”
Davis’s family is helping to raise money for the funeral and other life expenses for his son, Chris Davis Jr., after his sudden death. Many of Davis’s large basketball family have been sharing his GoFundMe including Nimrod Hilliard, the former Madison East basketball star and 2011 Wisconsin Mr. Basketball who now stars for the Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur (KR Reykjavik) basketball team in Iceland.
“As a kid, growing up and watching Chris and Rome [Jerome Haywood] was amazing. They set the bar for kids like me and Marquis Mason who grew up on the north/east side playing for Badger Sporting Goods run by Terry Tiedt,” Hilliard tells Madison365. “Getting a bit older through the years and starting to match our skills against them as kids was some of the best learning lessons for me.
“Chris is an absolute legend. Not too many people have played the game and done what he has accomplished — national championships at the Division 3 level, basketball and football, and player of the year,” Hilliard adds. “As a kid, it was amazing to see someone from our side of town killing it on the national stage and doing it with the same swagger he’s always had.”
Marquis Mason, a standout basketball player at Madison East High School where he was a teammate of Davis Sr., says that he “has stories for days” about his late friend.
“I remember the day I made varsity, Chris sat me down and gave me the game and politics on playing varsity. He told me about how my life was going to change from that point on and how many people were gonna come out the woodwork,” Mason tells Madison365. “He also explained how I couldn’t go anywhere because I’m a noticeable person. He explained how one mistake could ruin everything. Amongst all of it, he told me that this will be my school one day and that all he wanted to do was win and hoop at the next level. And that through us playing the basketball we know, we could play together and it would help both of us.”
That was almost 20 years ago, but Mason says he “remembers it like it was yesterday.”
“That conversation was like a badge of honor and I carried that with me for the rest of my athletic career,” Mason says. “His acceptance and guidance was the reason why I am the way I am today. I honestly don’t know how things would have played out at East had he not been there. He took on the big brother role when he didn’t have to. That’s what Chris meant to me.”
Davis Sr., who was also the head boys basketball coach at Sun Prairie West High School from 2022-2024, was the first UW-Whitewater athlete to ever be named the national player of the year. Hilliard says that it’s not only important for the community to support his son in every way possible, Chris Davis Jr., who was the state’s leading scorer as a junior at Sun Prairie West in 2023-24.
“It’s been a true blessing watching Chris Jr. grow as a kid at the time that me and his pops use to play together and now watching him grow into this young man who’s taller than me, and leads the country in scoring,” Hilliard says. “It’s amazing to see, and shows just how good of a job Chris did as a father.
“Those two have always been tied at the hip,” Hilliard adds. “It was dope to see their relationship through the years grow and grow and I’m happy they let me be a part of their journey in this life.”
So far, $11,300 out of the potential $80,000 has been raised with the GoFundMe. Funeral arrangements are pending.
“This fundraiser is so important because Chris was not only a legend on the court, but the way he gave back to his community and gave the game of basketball and life back to the younger generation will forever be something you hold on to if you knew him,” Hilliard says. “We as a community have to come together to make sure we give back to the Davis family, as they have done for the community constantly. Anything helps, and everything is appreciated.
“For Jr., I want people to know that we got him! We, the community, have to make sure we keep our hands on him and help him through this tough time. He’s such a good kid, it’s just sad he has to go through this pain, but know everyone has your back, lil bro.”
