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The Daily Cardinal Est. 1892
Thursday, July 17, 2025

UW Basketball player arrested

UW-Madison sophomore Maurice \Boo"" Wade, guard for the UW men's basketball team, was arrested on tentative charges of substantial battery, a felony, Wednesday afternoon after allegedly choking a woman the night before, endangering her life. 

 

 

 

The incident began Tuesday night between the hours of 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., at the 600 block of N. Langdon. According to Larry Kamholz, Madison Police Department public relations officer, Wade was at the Langdon apartment with a 19-year-old female, whose relationship to Wade remained undisclosed. Though Kamholz did not reveal the impetus for the incident, he said Wade began choking the woman with both hands.  

 

 

 

According to Kamholz, Wade stopped choking the woman but then took both hands and proceeded to choke her a second time. Directly following the second choking, he put her into a tight headlock, Kamholz said. 

 

 

 

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After the incident, Wade left the apartment and the woman went to a hospital to receive treatment for neck injuries, which Kamholz said were ""quite significant.""  

 

 

 

Yesterday afternoon at approximately noon, the female assault victim reported the incident to the Madison Police Department, and police quickly arrested Wade. Officer Kamholz said Wade was charged with substantial battery because ""choking causes potential harm to someone and is life threatening."" 

 

 

 

Police took Wade to the Dane County Prison, where he currently is being held.  

 

 

 

Kamholz added he is unsure whether drugs or alcohol were involved in the crime. 

 

 

 

The athletic department received a call Wednesday at approximately 4 p.m. regarding Wade's arrest, just three hours before a basketball game where he was scheduled to start. 

 

 

 

""Wade was immediately suspended from competition and practice after violating the Wisconsin Student-Athlete Discipline Policy,"" Associate Athletic Director Steve Malchow said. 

 

 

 

Wade will now have to decide if he wants to appeal his suspension, Malchow said. If he appeals, a committee will review details of the incident and determine whether suspension is appropriate. 

 

 

 

Malchow said he does not know when the optional appeal would be, but Kamholz said it would take place after he appears in court today. 

 

 

 

If Wade decides not to appeal the decision, his suspension from competition and games will stay in effect until any charges have been addressed by either the legal system, university or departmental disciplinary process, Malchow added. 

 

 

 

UW basketball coach Bo Ryan said he cannot disclose information about the incident, but confirmed Wade has been ""suspended indefinitely from the team."" 

 

 

 

""Privacy laws prevent me from saying anything,"" Ryan said. 

 

 

 

-Arvind Gopalratnam contributed to this report.

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