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2024-25 WIAC Men’s Basketball Preview

11/04/2024, 11:45am CST
By WIAC

From the WIAC --

University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the defending regular-season champion, has been selected to secure the 2025 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 Pioneers, ranked second in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25, collected the 23rd regular-season crown in program history a year ago and added its fourth conference tournament title. UW-Platteville advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since 1999, and had 26 victories – the most since 30 wins during the 1998-99 campaign. Logan Pearson, the reigning WIAC Kwik Trip Player of the Year, leads a group of four returning starters.

UW-Platteville’s 23 regular-season titles rank second on the conference’s all-time list. UW-Stevens Point leads the WIAC with 29, while UW-Eau Claire is third with 18 and UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater are fourth with 15 each.

UW-La Crosse, UW-Stevens Point, UW-River Falls, UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire complete the remaining order in the conference predictions.

UW-Eau Claire welcomes a new head coach this season as Zach Malvik was named the 11th head coach in program history in April. He was an assistant coach at Green Bay in 2023-24, after working in the same role at Winona State University (Minn.) and Saint Mary’s University (Minn.).

The 14-game conference schedule will begin on Jan. 4. The top-six teams in the standings will qualify for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver’s). The event will be held Feb. 24, 26, and 28, with all contests hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic NCAA bid.

2024-25 Preseason Predictions

Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors

                                                2023-24 Record

1. UW-Platteville               (26-5 overall, 12-2 WIAC)
2. UW-La Crosse               (14-12, 8-6)
3. UW-Stevens Point       (14-13, 7-7)
4. UW-River Falls               (15-12, 8-6)
5. UW-Whitewater          (17-9, 7-7)
6. UW-Oshkosh                 (10-15, 3-11)
7. UW-Stout                       (12-15, 6-8)
8. UW-Eau Claire               (12-13, 5-9)

Team Capsules

UW-Eau Claire

Head Coach:  Zach Malvik; 1st season at UWEC
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1

Returning All-WIAC:  Michael Casper, Sr., G (2023-Honorable); Carter Huschka, Sr., F (2024-First, 2024-Defensive); Drew Maloney, Sr., G (2024-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players:  Carter Lichtsinn, Jr., F; Caiden Leece, Jr., G; Grant Paetzold, So., G; Gunnar Tebon, Sr., G

UW-La Crosse

Head Coach:  JT Gritzmacher; 5th season (2nd at UWL); 71-42 (overall) / 14-12 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1

Returning All-WIAC:  Dustin Derousseau, Jr., G (2024-Honorable); Will Fuhrmann, Sr., G (2023-Defensive, 2024-Honorable); JJ Paider, Jr., F (2024-First)

Notable Returning Players:  Khris Green, Sr., G; Sam Grieger, So., G; Torin Hannah, Sr., G; Tarek Abdel Kireem, Sr., G

UW-Oshkosh

Head Coach: Matt Lewis; 7th season at UWO; 111-40
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  15/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3

Returning All-WIAC:  Michael Metcalf-Grassman, So., F (2024-First/Newcomer of the Year)

Notable Returning Players:  Tristan Johanknecht, So., F; Nick Kraftzenk, So., F; Jonah Rindfleisch, Sr., F; Carter Thomas, Jr., G

UW-Platteville

Head Coach: Jeff Gard; 16th season at UWP; 250-141
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/9
Starters Returning/Lost: 4/1

Returning All-WIAC: Max Love, Jr., F (2024-First); Brady Olson, Sr., G (2024-Honorable, 2024-Defensive); Logan Pearson, Sr., F (2022-Honorable, 2023-First, 2023-Defensive, 2024-First/Player of the Year); Ben Probst, Sr., G (2024-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players: Joey Fuhremann, Jr., F; Miles Hettinger, Jr., F; Bristol Lewis, So., G; Aiden Wieczorek, Jr., G

UW-River Falls

Head Coach: Jeff Berkhof; 19th season at UWRF; 235-220
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/10
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3

Returning All-WIAC: Zac Johnson, Sr., G (2024-First); Jack Leifker, Jr., C (2024-First)

Notable Returning Players: Mason Anderson, Sr., G; Jacob Butler, Jr., G; Dylan Parker, Sr., G; Micah Thompson, So., F

UW-Stevens Point

Head Coach: Kent Dernbach; 9th season (3rd at UWSP); 121-64 (overall) / 22-18 (at UWSP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/10
Starters Returning/Lost: 5/0

Returning All-WIAC: Malik Abdul-Wahid, Sr., F (2024-First); Josiah Butler, So., G (2024-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players: Darrius Bolden, Sr., G; Cal Krohn, So., F; Seth Miron, So., G/F

UW-Stout

Head Coach: Jim Lake; 7th season at UWS; 48-88
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/6
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/2

Returning All-WIAC: Aidan Shore, Sr., C (2024-Honorable, 2024-Defensive)

Notable Returning Players: Collin Vick, So., G; Jacob Walczak, Sr., G; Brenden Weis, Sr., G

UW-Whitewater

Head Coach: Jarod Wichser; 2nd season at UWW; 17-9
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/8
Starters Returning/Lost: 2/3

Returning All-WIAC: Jameer Barker, Sr. G (2023-Honorable)

Notable Returning Players: Carter Capstran, Sr., F; JT Hoytink, Sr., G; Jake Quast, So., G; Isaac Verges, So., G

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