SUPERIOR — The University of Wisconsin-Superior class of 2024 was recognized Saturday, May 18 at Siinto S. Wessman Arena.

According to UWS, more than 650 students from 33 different countries were eligible to receive diplomas for Saturday’s commencement ceremony — including 437 bachelor’s degrees and 198 master’s degrees. There also were 46 undergraduate students with double majors.

Graduating students included 218 first-generation students. The oldest graduate is 72 years old and the youngest is 20.

Chancellor Renée Wachter presided over the ceremony and presented diplomas to students who earned associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., came to Kansas City Chiefs place kicker Harrison Butker’s defense this week after the 28-year-old pro-baller’s commencement speech at Benedictine College.

Butker came under fire after delivering a speech to new graduates of the Catholic liberal arts college, focusing on the importance of being “unapologetically Catholic.” 

His address included barbs at President Biden for his pro-abortion stance and supporting young women in the “vocation” of marriage and motherhood.

BILL MAHER DEFENDS HARRISON BUTKER AMID SPEECH UPROAR: ‘I DON’T SEE WHAT THE BIG CRIME IS’

Most controversially, Butker referred to pride month as a “deadly sin.” 

For Butker’s stances on faith and family, both the media and the NFL alike condemned the speech. The NFL explicitly distanced itself from Butker, saying “his views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”

Hawley, himself a Christian, defended his “friend” on X amid the onslaught. 

Hawley first posted to his X acount, the site formerly known as Twitter, with a photo showing him alongside Butker. “Never more proud to call Harrison Butker my friend,” Hawley said.

The Missouri Republican also posted later that same day citing jersey sales for the Kansas City Chiefs kicker reaching an all-time high, saying, “Nice work, libs! I’m ordering one for all my kids.”

Hawley also joined KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City Friday morning, calling the left “hilariously out of touch” when it comes to Butker’s views.

The NFL has sold out of Harrison Butker jerseys for women in the days that followed his commencement address at Benedictine College.

The full text of Butker’s address can be found here.

When the Atlanta Hawks landed the top pick in the 2024 NBA Draft at the lottery last weekend, many assumed that they were officially headed toward a rebuild. With that, all eyes are now set on the star backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Even before Atlanta landed the No. 1 pick, there was a league-wide assumption that one of the two guards might get moved. If one or both are indeed available, the Detroit Pistons would be wise to inquire, as they could benefit from a big move.

The chances of the Pistons seeking out a trade for Trae Young seem slim, considering Cade Cunningham is in the picture as the team’s starting point guard for the future.

Perhaps, a pairing of Cunningham and Murray could be beneficial to Detroit.

Recently, Bleacher Report put together multiple mock trades that make sense for Atlanta’s top pick. In one of the hypothetical deals presented, there is a framework that shows the Pistons’ potential path to not only Murray — but the first pick as well.

In the mock deal, the Pistons would ship out Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, and the fifth-overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. For Atlanta, they move off of Murray, while going back four spots.

“Burning a chunk of cap space on this package shouldn’t bother Detroit, either. Murray is likely far better than anyone whom the Pistons can realistically sign, and this deal has them taking on under $15 million additional salary, leaving them plenty of maneuverability for both free agency and other trades.”

Whatever the Pistons have been doing clearly isn’t working. Is this a deal that would instantly turn Detroit into a contender? Probably not, but it would allow the Pistons to get a look at Cunningham sharing the court with an All-Star caliber player.

Before Murray landed in Atlanta, he averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists with the San Antonio Spurs. His pairing alongside Trae Young wasn’t as great on the court as it was on paper, but he still maintained a high level of play.

Over the past two seasons, Murray averaged 22 points, five rebounds, and six assists. He knocked down 52 percent of his twos and drilled 36 percent of his threes on six attempts per game. Not only was Murray productive, but he was available for all but 12 games over his two-year run with the Hawks so far.

The Pistons have money to spend in free agency, but convincing an All-Star caliber player to join a 14-win squad would take a ton of effort, which would probably result in striking out. If the plan is for the Pistons to acquire a player near Murray’s tier, striking a trade might be their best bet.

It wouldn’t be easy for Detroit to cut ties with their homegrown prospects like Ivey and Thompson, but there’s always major risk involved in getting a blockbuster deal done. And the Pistons certainly don’t get any worse in this scenario.