MADISON, Wis. – Justin Taphorn entered the University of Wisconsin thinking his entire career path was figured out.
He would walk on and play basketball for the Badgers, get his degree in kinesiology, and fulfill a childhood goal of becoming a physical therapist.
But as he sweated through practices and cheered his teammates from the bench, Taphorn started to imagine life without basketball. That didn’t sit well with him.
“I’ve always wanted to be a physical therapist, but the thought of being away from the game struck me,” Taphorn said. “There’s still ways to be involved in the game, but the relationship with the guys and the game itself, I didn’t want to be away from it.”
Tonight’s conference game against Rutgers is the final home game of Tyler Wahl’s career. The graduate forward will likely receive a strong ovation considering he ranks second in school history in games played (155), fifth in wins (102), and is the sixth player in program history with 1,000+ points, 600+ rebounds, and 200+ assists.
Taphorn will be honored on the undercard but has become valuable in other ways since the former walk-on decided to transition to his undergraduate assistant role in August after a conversation with head coach Greg Gard.
“Coach Gard posed the question to me of being on this side of the team,” said Taphorn, referring to the administration side. “I pondered that. I love the game too much. I have a passion for it. I didn’t really realize it until the past couple years of my life. I am very lucky for this opportunity and to see where it takes me.”
The life of an undergraduate assistant is grunt work and requires wearing many different hats, but necessary tasks for the team to function. Taphorn stays busy in the basketball offices doing whatever is asked of him, like charting stats of potential recruiting targets or helping team managers get ready for that day’s practice.
During games, Taphorn sits behind the bench with two iPads and is ready to cue up any sequence the staff needs to review to make in-game adjustments. Taphorn loves it, giving him a complete picture of what it takes to run a program.
“He has a closer relationship with the rest of the players (than the assistants),” assistant coach Dean Oliver said. “Being a player, he gives us that perspective. Things we don’t realize as coaches, sometimes Taphorn can realize it because he was a player just a year ago. He gives us a lot of great insight throughout the year being that extra coach from the player’s locker room.”
Having Taphorn in a different role has also been equally great for the players. After transferring from Wofford, Max Klesmit’s first roommate with Wisconsin was Taphorn. While Taphorn admitted what he misses most is the camaraderie in the locker room, Klesmit noted his impact on the team is exponentially greater than it was a season ago.
“He’s still a great part of what we do today in terms of scouting,” Klesmit said. “Tap has got a great shot, so take his input on everything he has to say about jump shooting. It’s been good to have him at a different perspective and give his point of view on things. He’s got more of a voice and feels like he can give his input because he sees it at a different level than he did last year.”
Taphorn’s collegiate career spans 16 games. He never played more than four minutes in any appearance and never attempted a shot. He loved every minute of it, especially the fact the Badgers were 14-2 in games in which he appeared.
Athletics have played a big part in the Taphorn family. His father, Pat, played at UW-Green Bay and was Justin’s assistant coach at Perkin High. Justin’s older brother, Nathan, was a scholarship forward at Northwestern (2013-17), and his twin sister, Jenna, plays volleyball at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
Playing in 72 career games for Pekin (Ill.) High, earning four varsity letters and serving as a team captain his senior season, Taphorn averaged 10.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game his final season, shooting 37 percent from the field.
Trying to find a college spot amid the COVID pandemic, Taphorn attracted interest from Division II and Division III college coaches during his senior season, but he had higher aspirations. He took it upon himself to contact Division I coaches in hopes of landing a walk-on spot by sending them a resume and video of game highlights.
He caught the attention of Gard, who eventually offered him the walk-on spot, which could lead to a scholarship.
Taphorn picked Wisconsin over a walk-on offer from Bradley because of his desire to become a physical therapist or an athletic trainer. According to Authority.org, Wisconsin’s kinesiology program and exercise science program rank No.13 in the country with an ‘A+’ rating.
He fell in love with the professional when he needed physical therapy in middle school to recover from Plantar fasciitis, a painful inflammation of the tissue that connects the heel bone to the toes.
“I have always been fascinated with the anatomy of the body,” Taphorn said.
He ended last season thinking about his future, whether to take a gap year or begin applying to schools to further his education. He now hopes that Wisconsin basketball will have an opening next season for a graduate assistant that he can apply for.
Either way, Taphorn admits he’s dealing with a good problem because of the opportunity given to him by Wisconsin.
“I give all the credit to Coach Gard,” Taphorn said. “He is the one who values everyone on this team. I got to be on the court for the NCAA Tournament. I never scored in a game but that doesn’t matter. That’s not why it’s going to be remembered. Those moments wouldn’t happen without this opportunity in Wisconsin, and not many people get to experience that.”
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