April 1, 2015 By Alex Calles
The main goal for Warhawk point guard Quardell Young was to win back-to-back titles and three in his four-year career at UWW. But after being knocked out in the first round of the Division-III NCAA Tournament by Defiance 83-71, his plans changed.
Instead of making a run to another title like Young wanted, he got to experience something new during this time of year.
Young was invited and he accepted to participate in Reese’s D-III All-Star game in Salem, Virginia where he ended the game with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. Like most of his games with the ‘Hawks, he is a stat-box filler.
During his first season with the Warhawks, Young was not a full-time starter, but he contributed throughout the season. With six of the next eight points off the bench in the second half of the NCAA title game, he gave the ’Hawks a spark to beat Cabrini College 63-60.
It was the first national title since 1989 and the third in school history. It seemed to be the coming out party for Young and his freshmen teammates as they led the community to three years of great basketball.
During his second season, Young and the Warhawks ended the season with a 24-5 record and won the WIAC title. They ended their season with a lost in the second round of the D-III tournament to North Central College 64-60.
Last season, the ‘Hawks won its fourth D-III title in school history. The game was a thriller. -With four seconds left in the game, Williams College scored to take the lead 73-72.
Then came Young’s defining play of his ‘Hawks career. Dodging back and forth between defenders, Young was fouled and made the layup with 0.9 seconds left on the clock. After converting the and-one, he gave the Warhawks a 75-73 win of Williams College.
There are not many players in D-III basketball or basketball at any level that can help their team win one championship. For Young and his teammates, it has been a great four years, winning two D-III Championships.
Young was recognized as part of the All-Region team, coming from the Central region. He was also WIAC player of the year and WIAC First-Team.
Although Young has many accomplishments, being the point guard that he is, he looks to his teammates to assure they get most of the credit because without them, he would not be the player with the awards or with two rings.
For student of UW-W and fans of the ‘Hawks basketball team, these four years were as fun as any fan base could ask for. Four consecutive NCAA tournament berths and two national championships.
