Men's Basketball

UW-Whitewater Predicted To Win Men’s Basketball Title

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has been selected to win the 2024 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, ranked No. 2 nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll, have won 15 regular season titles in program history. UW-Whitewater claimed last year’s conference tournament crown – the fifth in program history – and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division III Championship. The Warhawks welcome back all five starters from a season ago, including Miles Barnstable – the reigning conference Newcomer of the Year.
 
UW-Oshkosh is the defending WIAC regular season champion and enters the 2023-24 campaign ranked No. 25 by D3hoops.com. The Titans have posted 15 first-place finishes in program archives, including three of the last five years.
 
UW-Oshkosh is followed in the conference predictions by: UW-La Crosse; UW-Platteville; UW-River Falls; UW-Eau Claire; UW-Stevens Point; and UW-Stout.
 
A trio of teams will have new head coaches for the 2023-24 campaign, as JT Gritzmacher takes over at UW-La Crosse, while Kent Dernbach assumes the lead role at UW-Stevens Point and Jarod Wichser is in the interim role at UW-Whitewater.
 
Gritzmacher was most recently the head coach at Bryant & Stratton College (Wis.) for the last three years, while Dernbach was the head coach at UW-La Crosse for the past seven seasons and served as the interim head coach for 13 games at UW-Stevens Point during the 2016-17 season. Wichser was an assistant coach with the Warhawks for the last six years.
 
The 14-game conference schedule will begin on Jan. 4. The top-six teams in the league standings will qualify for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver’s). The event will be held Feb. 20, 22, and 24, with all contests hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of the tournament will receive an automatic NCAA bid.
 
2023-24 Preseason Predictions – Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
 
2022-23 Record
1. UW-Whitewater (25-8 overall, 9-5 WIAC)
2. UW-Oshkosh (24-7, 13-1)
3. UW-La Crosse (19-7, 10-4)
4. UW-Platteville (14-12, 7-7)
5. UW-River Falls (11-15, 5-9)
6. UW-Eau Claire (17-10, 8-6)
7. UW-Stevens Point (10-15, 3-11)
8. UW-Stout (5-20, 1-13)

 
Team Capsules
 
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Matt Siverling; 14th season (12th at UWEC); 171-151 (overall) / 142-127 (at UWEC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Michael Casper, Sr., G (2023-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Nolan Blair, Sr., G; Cade Hall, Sr., F; Carter Huschka, Sr., F
 
 
UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  JT Gritzmacher; 4th season (1st at UWL); 57-30 (overall) / 0-0 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  14/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Will Fuhrmann, Sr., G (2023-Defensive); Austin Westra, Sr., F (2023-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Jake Gross, Sr., G; Torin Hannah, Jr., G; Henry Noone, Sr., G; JJ Paider, So., F
 
 
UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Matt Lewis; 6th season at UWO; 101-25
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  15/4
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Will Mahoney, Sr., G (2021-Honorable); Quinn Steckbauer, Sr., G (2022-Honorable, 2023-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Joseph Adamson, Sr., C; Reed Gunnink, Sr., G; Jonah Rindfleisch, Jr., F; Carter Thomas, So., G
 
 
UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Jeff Gard; 15th season at UWP; 224-136
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  12/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Logan Pearson, Sr., F (2022-Honorable, 2023-First, 2023-Defensive)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Max Love, So., F; Brad Nies, Sr., F; Brady Olson, Jr., G; Ben Probst, Sr., G
 
 
UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Jeff Berkhof; 18th season at UWRF; 220-208
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  15/2
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Noah Hanson, Sr., G (2021-Honorable, 2022-First); Logan Jedwabny, Jr., G (2023-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Marshall Holland, Sr., F; Dylan Parker, Jr., G; Jack Leifker, Jr., C; Jake Reeck, Sr., G
 
 
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Kent Dernbach; 8th season (2nd at UWSP); 107-51 (overall) / 8-5 (at UWSP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  11/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Jake Buchanan, Sr., G (2023-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Ryan Genrich, Sr., G; AJ Makinen, Sr., G; Ryan Peterson, Sr., G; Brennan Timm, Jr., G
 
 
UW-Stout
Head Coach:  Jim Lake; 6th season at UWS; 36-73
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/2
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Brody Fox, Jr., G (2023-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Nick Jungel, Jr., C; Jackson Noll, Jr., G; George Scharlau, Sr., F; Aiden Shore, Sr., C
 
 
UW-Whitewater
Head Coach (Interim):  Jarod Wichser; 1st season at UWW; 0-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  14/2
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Jameer Barker, Jr., G (2023-Honorable); Delvin Barnstable, Sr., G (2023-Honorable); Miles Barnstable, So., G (2023-First/Newcomer); Trevon Chislom, Sr., F (2021-Honorable, 2023-First); Elijah Lambert, Jr., G/F (2023-Defensive)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Carter Capstran, Jr., F; Drew Fisher, Jr., G; JT Hoytink, Jr., G
 
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