The Madison Mavericks are set to play their debut season in the Official Basketball Association this April, thanks to the help of Mavericks Owner Roy Boone.
The idea of bringing semi-professional basketball to Madison was sparked during a conversation with old friend and former WNBA player Tamara Moore, Boone explained. Moore is also the owner of The OBA League.
“This can really impact the kids in the area and bring our community closer together,” Boone said. “Talking with friends and my basketball circle reassured the need for a great platform for guys to continue to play in the Madison area.”
Ever since his playing days concluded, Boone has spent a lot of his time working and building in his community of Madison. He has especially spent a lot of time working with youth.
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Boone coached the fifth grade North East Side Youth Basketball team for nine years before taking an assistant coach position at Madison Area Technical College in 2016.
Boone was quickly promoted to associate head coach in 2018, where he has since helped the Wolfpack earn their highest ever seed in the National Junior College Athletic Association tournament.
The Roy Boone Summer League has also made an impact on the community and quickly became a fan favorite in Madison after it was founded in 2014. Boone organized the league, which features teams with many former Badgers along with some of the best local players in Madison.
“It’s always about the kids,” Boone said. “Kids in my community need more young positive role models like the players on the Madison Mavericks. We have the Badgers but not every kid can get to a Badger game or connect with those athletes like they will be able to with the Mavericks.”
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Boone is no stranger to the city of Madison or the people of Wisconsin. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he moved to Madison midway through his high school career to graduate from Madison East High School, where he averaged 29.6 points per game.
Boone went on to play college basketball at the University of Wisconsin two years later.
In his first year as a Badger, Boone led the No. 8-seed Wisconsin Badgers on a Cinderella run to the Final Four. Boone etched his name into the shrines of Wisconsin basketball history after he scored six points in the final three minutes of the regional final game to propel the Badgers into the Final Four.
Boone scored a team-high 18 points in the Final Four against the eventual champion, the Michigan State Spartans. Boone came back for his senior season and led the 2001 Badgers squad in scoring with 12.8 points per game.
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After graduating from Wisconsin with a degree in consumer science, Boone went on to play professionally in Germany for Europe’s top league. Once Boon returned to the U.S., he spent time playing in multiple different leagues such as the Continental Basketball Association, the World Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association.
Now working as the owner of the Madison Mavericks, Boone hopes to create more outlets for basketball for the younger generations to come.
“This will provide opportunities for so many young men to continue their basketball career,” Boone said.
The Mavericks have already signed a few college graduates who were looking for a new team to call home.
One of those many young men is Mavericks point guard Shareef Smith. Smith graduated from Madison Memorial High School where he earned the 2015 Big Eight Conference Player of the Year award. The Mavericks signed Smith in 2020 after he recorded 185 assists in two years playing college basketball for Eastern Illinois.
“It means a lot for the youth because it opens opportunities for those who weren’t able to get a chance at their dreams of playing college ball or even going pro,” Smith said. “I think this team can accomplish something great. We have guys who have competed at all different types of top-level basketball.”
The Mavericks are scheduled for tip-off April 10 against the Green Bay Area Titans for the team’s debut in The OBA League.
