Wisconsin’s Chucky Hepburn posts emotional outing following fatal shooting of close friend

Wisconsin secured a 73-65 win over Nebraska Thursday evening but the night was about more than just the result for Badgers guard Chucky Hepburn.

A native of Nebraska, Hepburn received word to start the week that close friend Vincent Burns was killed during a fatal shooting in Omaha. Burns was 20-years-old.

Just days after Burns’ death, Hepburn took the court in Lincoln alongside his Badger teammates. He opened the game with a 3-point field goal and played well all game long, finishing with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals in 25 minutes of action.

After his close friend/godbrother was shot and killed just 3 days ago, @ChuckyHepburn returned to Lincoln.

He made his first 3 and pointed to the sky – that one was for Vince. So was every other point the @BadgerMBB freshman guard scored tonight. pic.twitter.com/xDFkWi8KW0

— Matt Foster KETV (@MattFosterTV) January 28, 2022

After the game, Hepburn mentioned that being on the court is a place he can go to where “distractions go away.” He also shared one of the last messages Burns gave him which was a call to be more aggressive on the court.

#Badgers Chucky Hepburn: “Once I step on the court, I know all the distractions go away.”

— Jeff Potrykus (@jaypo1961) January 28, 2022

This week should have been one of celebration for Chucky Hepburn as he returned home, but the death of a close friend, 20-year-old Vince Burns, hit him hard on Monday. He said he really struggled with the loss at first but his teammates helped him get through it. pic.twitter.com/vqrdQ39lP0

— Jacob Padilla (@JacobPadilla_) January 28, 2022

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Hepburn and Burns’ family as they continue to cope with the recent tragedy.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.