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From the WIAC -- 

University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Robert Duax was selected the Player of the Year to headline the individuals chosen to the 2018 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Basketball Team by the league coaches. In addition, UW-Platteville’s Jeff Gard was tabbed the Coach of the Year.

Duax is the ninth player in program history to secure the honor. He claimed first team recognition for the second straight season and ranks fourth in the WIAC with 15.3 points per game, fifth with a .815 free throw percentage, sixth with 1.27 steals per contest and seventh with a .512 field goal percentage. Duax has reached double figures in scoring in 22 of 26 games, including a season-high 29 points at UW-River Falls on Jan. 10. He grabbed a season-best nine rebounds against Ripon College (Wis.) on Dec. 29.

Repeat selections on the first team from a season ago included:  UW-Eau Claire’s George Diekelman; UW-Oshkosh’s Ben Boots; and UW-River Falls Alex Herink (Player of the Year). Diekelman also received first team accolades in 2016.

Gard secured the coaching honor after leading the Pioneers to the 20th regular-season conference title in program history – and first since 2005. UW-Platteville finished eighth in the league standings a season ago to become the first team in WIAC history to go from last place one year to first the next. The Pioneers own a 22-4 record heading into the 11th NCAA appearance in school archives.

UW-Whitewater’s Derek Rongstad earned a spot on the five-member All-Defensive Team for the second straight year.

An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school.

2018 All-WIAC Men’s Basketball Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Hometown (High School)

Ben Boots, Oshkosh, Junior, Guard, Kimberly, Wis.
Andre Brown, Whitewater, Junior, Guard, Kenosha, Wis. (Indian Trail)
MJ Delmore, Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
George Diekelman, Eau Claire, Senior, Guard, Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH)
Robert Duax, Platteville, Junior, Guard/Forward, Dubuque, Iowa (Hempstead)
Jack Flynn, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Center, Appleton, Wis. (West)
Alex Herink, River Falls, Senior, Forward, Hudson, Wis.
Ben Meinholz, La Crosse, Junior, Forward, Oconomowoc, Wis. (Milwaukee Marquette)
Matt Oestreich, Platteville, Senior, Guard, Marshfield, Wis.
Canon O’Heron, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, Bangor, Wis.

Honorable Mention

Nate Dodge, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard, East Troy, Wis.
Chris Duff, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, Walker, Minn.
Isaac Elliott, Stout, Senior, Guard, Stevens Point, Wis. (Pacelli)
Adam Fravert, Oshkosh, Sophomore, Forward, Marshfield, Wis.
Brendon Manning, La Crosse, Junior, Guard, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Kennedy)
Taulvish McCray, La Crosse, Junior, Guard, Neenah, Wis.
Mark Nelson, Stevens Point, Junior, Guard/Forward, Madison, Wis. (Monona Grove)
Derek Rongstad, Whitewater, Junior, Guard/Forward, Middleton, Wis.
David Sachs, Whitewater, Junior, Guard, Highland Park, Ill.
Quentin Shields, Platteville, Freshman, Guard, Chicago, Ill. (Brooks College Prep Academy)
Carter Voelker, Platteville, Sophomore, Guard, Kiel, Wis.
Brennan Witt, River Falls, Senior, Forward, Champlin, Minn. (Park)

All-Defensive Team

Clay Gerds, Platteville, Junior, Forward, Fort Atkinson, Wis.
Taulvish McCray, La Crosse, Junior, Guard, Neenah, Wis.
Sam Ortmann, Stout, Senior, Guard, Buffalo, Minn.
Derek Rongstad, Whitewater, Junior, Guard/Forward, Middleton, Wis.
Brett Tauber, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward/Center, Madison, Wis. (Memorial)

All-Sportsmanship Team

Dan Becken, Eau Claire, Senior, Forward, Lino Lakes, Minn. (Centennial)
Devin Buckley, River Falls, Senior, Guard, Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Park Center)
Milton Cummings, La Crosse, Senior, Forward, New Berlin, Wis. (Wisconsin Lutheran)
Zach Dahl, Stout, Junior, Guard, Buffalo, Minn.
Cole Hake, Platteville, Senior, Forward, Kaukauna, Wis.
Noah Kaminsky, Whitewater, Sophomore, Center, Hartford, Wis.
Jake Laihinen, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, Mequon, Wis. (Homestead)
Jontrell Robinson, Stevens Point, Senior, Guard, Rockford, Ill. (East)

Player of the Year:  Robert Duax of Platteville

Coach of the Year:  Jeff Gard of Platteville

Max Sparger Co-Scholar-Athletes:  Charlie Noone of Oshkosh and Isaac Castellano of River Falls

University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Charlie Noone and UW-River Falls’ Isaac Castellano have been selected co-recipients of the 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award.

A senior from Oshkosh, Wis. (Lourdes Academy), Noone owns a 3.52 grade point average and is majoring in accounting. In 2016-17, he was a National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Honors Court Member and attended the NCAA Student-Athlete Forum. Noone is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been named to UW-Oshkosh’s Dean’s List and Honor Roll.

A team captain, Noone helped UW-Oshkosh earn a spot in the NCAA Division III championship for the third straight season this year. He earned All-WIAC first team honors a season ago after receiving honorable mention recognition in 2016, when UW-Oshkosh won the conference tournament. In 2017, Noone was a member of the NCAA Division III USA Basketball Team that traveled to Brazil. He ranks second in program history with 228 three-pointers made and is 29th on the school’s all-time list with 1,047 career points.

Noone has been a member of UW-Oshkosh’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Accounting Club. He has volunteered for Special Olympics.

Castellano, a junior from Auburndale, Wis., is majoring in biology education with a minor in chemistry and sustains a 3.91 grade point average. He was a NABC Honors Court Member in 2016-17 and was part of two Falcon squads that received a Team Academic Award from the NABC. Castellano is a two-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-River Falls’ Dean’s List and Honor Roll numerous semesters.

As team captain a year ago, he helped UW-River Falls secure the WIAC regular-season and tournament titles. Castellano received the Falcons’ Teammate of the Year Award in 2016 and 2017.

He is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and UW-River Falls’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Castellano has volunteered with Feed My Starving Children, Habitat For Humanity and the Salvation Army.

UW-Stout’s Isaac Elliott (Sr., Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) was also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference for 22 years from 1971-93. He oversaw the transition of the conference from NAIA to full NCAA membership. Sparger arrived at UW-Stout in 1959 and served the institution in a variety of capacities, including an assistant football and basketball coach, head wrestling coach and head football coach. He served as UW-Stout's athletics director from 1969-71 and was inducted into the WIAC Hall of Fame in 2012.
 
In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average. In addition, he must be in his last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.