WIAC Men's Basketball Preview

From the WIAC

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the defending NCAA Division III champion, has been selected to captured the 2015 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men’s basketball title, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

The Warhawks captured the fourth national title in program history – and 11th by a WIAC program – a season ago. UW-Whitewater enters the 2014-15 campaign ranked No. 1 in the D3hoops.com preseason poll and has earned 14 conference regular-season crowns. Seniors KJ Evans and Quardell Young lead this year’s squad. Evans topped the league with 8.2 rebounds per contest, while placing third with 17.3 points per game. Young led the WIAC with 4.0 assists per game, while ranking fourth with a .543 field goal percentage. He also added 10.7 points per game.

Head coach Pat Miller is nine victories away from reaching 300 in his career and becoming the seventh men’s basketball coach in conference archives to reach the mark. His career winning percentage of .778 ranks 13th all-time in the NCAA (all divisions) among coaches with a minimum of 10 seasons. The Warhawks will play two of their first eight and four of their final six games at home.

UW-Stevens Point, ranked seventh by D3hoops.com, is slotted for second in the nine-team league race. The Pointers secured the 28th first-place finish in program listings last season and made their 13th NCAA appearance. Seniors Joe Ritchay and Austin Ryf are back after starting all 30 games last year. Ritchay posted 7.7 points per contest, while Ryf contributed 4.9 and was second on the team with 76 assists. Gone from last year’s squad is Tyler Tillema, who claimed WIAC Player of the Year honors. Head coach Bob Semling’s .826 career winning percentage is the highest among active NCAA Division III coaches. The Pointers have accumulated a 117-13 record on Bennett Court at Quandt Fieldhouse in Semling’s nine seasons.

UW-Platteville has three returning starters, including seniors Jim Stocki and Jake Manning. Stocki was second on last year’s club with 12.4 points per contest and ranked fifth in the WIAC with a .437 three-point field goal percentage. Manning contributed 7.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Both individuals have a chance to reach 1,000 career points. Gone from last year’s squad is Chas Cross, who secured conference Player of the Year honors in 2013. UW-Platteville’s 2014-15 schedule begins with six straight contests at Bo Ryan Court and concludes with four of seven at home.

UW-La Crosse brings back nine letterwinners for a program that has earned double-digit conference wins the last two seasons for the first time since 2005-07. In 2013-14, the Eagles made a school record 249 three-point field goals – extending their stretch of making at least one three-point field goal for 199 consecutive games and 326 of the last 327 overall. Senior Trent Schmidt was fifth on the team with 6.0 points per game last year. UW-La Crosse plays five of the first nine games at home, where it is 43-15 in the last five seasons.

UW-Oshkosh returns 13 letterwinners and has only two seniors on this year’s roster. Sophomore Alex Olson was second on the squad with 10.9 points per game, while ranking second in the league with 43 steals. The Titans are coming off their best finish (fifth) in the WIAC since 2009 and have recorded at least 16 wins in 12 of the past 19 years. UW-Oshkosh will play nine of its first 14 games at Kolf Sports Center.

UW-Eau Claire welcomes back all but three players from last year’s squad and has nine transfers on this season’s roster. Returning players accounted for 99.3 percent of scoring, 98.8 percent of rebounding, 99.6 percent of assists and 100.0 percent of steals. Junior Adam Hjelter posted a team-leading 15.5 points per contest, while senior Lewis Mau was second with 11.4 points per game. The Blugolds will not host the UW-Eau Claire Holiday Classic this year – an event that was conducted 45 straight years.

UW-Stout’s 2014-15 roster includes 14 freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors and one senior - the youngest team in head coach Eddie Andrist’s 15 seasons with the program. Sophomore Brett Ahsenmacher played in all 26 games and averaged 4.7 points per contest, while junior Hank Kujak averaged 2.6 points in 17 games. Senior Jarvis Ragland missed almost the entire 2013-14 season, but averaged 9.7 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest in 2012-13. UW-Stout will play 10 of its first 14 contests on the road.

UW-River Falls does not have a senior on its roster this year. Sophomore Grant Erickson led the NCAA (all divisions) in assist/turnover ratio at 4.94 a season ago. Head coach Jeff Berkhof is five wins away from reaching 100 in his career. The Falcons will start the season with 10 of the first 12 games away from Karges Center.

UW-Superior must replace 57 percent of its scoring from last season’s squad that was the top offensive rebounding team in the WIAC at 37.4 per contest and led the league in blocked shots with 4.40 per game. Sophomore Zach Schradle is the top returning scorer at 7.6 points per game. The Yellowjackets open the 2014-15 campaign with seven of their first 10 contests away from home.

2014-15 Preseason Predictions--Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors

2013-14 Record
1. UW-Whitewater 29-4 overall, 13-3 WIAC
2. UW-Stevens Point 28-2, 15-1
3. UW-Platteville 16-11, 10-6
4. UW-La Crosse 17-10, 10-6
5. UW-Oshkosh 12-14, 7-9
6. UW-Eau Claire 10-15, 3-13
7. UW-Stout 12-14, 7-9
8. UW-River Falls 8-17, 3-13
9. UW-Superior 7-18, 4-12

Team Nuggets

UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach: Matt Siverling; 5th season (3rd at UWEC); 49-54 (overall) / 20-30 (at UWEC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/3
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0
Returning All-WIAC: Adam Hjelter, Jr., G (2014-Honorable); Lewis Mau, Sr., G (2013-Honorable)

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach: Ken Koelbl; 12th season at UWL; 160-128
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/7
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Returning All-WIAC: None

UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach: Pat Juckem; 10th season (3rd at UWO); 124-111 (overall) / 19-32 (at UWO)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/5
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Returning All-WIAC: None

UW-Platteville
Head Coach: Jeff Gard; 6th season at UWP; 80-54
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/3
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2
Returning All-WIAC: Jake Manning, Sr., F (2013-Honorable); Jim Stocki, Sr., G (2014-Honorable)

UW-River Falls
Head Coach: Jeff Berkhof; 9th season at UWRF; 95-113
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/9
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Returning All-WIAC: None

UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach: Bob Semling; 10th season at UWSP; 215-49
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 12/3
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Returning All-WIAC: Joe Ritchay, Sr., G/F (2013-Honorable); Austin Ryf, Sr., G (2013-Honorable, 2013-Defensive, 2014-Defensive)

UW-Stout
Head Coach: Eddie Andrist; 26th season (15th at UWST); 433-368 (overall) / 183-177 (at UWST)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 5/13
Starters Returning/Lost: 1/4
Returning All-WIAC: None

UW-Superior
Head Coach: Paul Eberhardt; 3rd season at UWS; 16-35
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/9
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Returning All-WIAC: None

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach: Pat Miller; 14th season at UWW; 291-83
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 14/4
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3
Returning All-WIAC: KJ Evans, Sr., G (2014-First); Quardell Young, Sr., G (2013-First, 2014-First)