Men's Basketball

2026 WIAC Men’s Basketball Preview

MADISON, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has announced its preview and predictions for the 2026 men’s basketball season. The predictions were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
UW-La Crosse has been selected to claim the regular-season title. The Eagles enter the season ranked No. 7 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Preseason Poll after a 2024-25 campaign that featured a program-record 25 wins and their first-ever trip to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III championship. UW-La Crosse has won 12 regular-season championships with the most recent in 2016.
 
UW-Platteville, the two-time defending regular-season champion, is predicted to place second in the conference race. The Pioneers are ranked No. 18 by D3hoops.com and have accumulated 52 wins in the last two seasons – the best two-year stretch in program history since the 1998 and 1999 squads had 30 victories.
 
The remaining order in the conference predictions feature: UW-Stevens Point (third), UW-Eau Claire (fourth), UW-Oshkosh (fifth), UW-Whitewater (sixth), UW-River Falls (seventh) and UW-Stout (eighth).
 
The 2025-26 campaign welcomes a new head coach to the conference as Tom Webb will assume interim duties at UW-Stout. He spent the last seven years as an assistant coach with the Blue Devils.
 
WIAC teams will begin their non-conference schedules on Nov. 7, while the 14-game conference schedule will start on Jan. 3. 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.

 
2025-26 Preseason Predictions – Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
 
2024-25 Record
1. UW-La Crosse (25-6 overall, 12-2 WIAC)
2. UW-Platteville (26-3, 13-1)
3. UW-Stevens Point (18-9, 7-7)
4. UW-Eau Claire (17-10, 8-6)
5. UW-Oshkosh (13-13, 4-10)
6. UW-Whitewater (11-15, 5-9)
7. UW-River Falls (9-16, 3-11)
8. UW-Stout (8-17, 4-10)
 

Team Capsules
 
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Zach Malvik; 2nd season at UWEC; 17-10
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  5/9
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Andre Renta, Sr., G (2025-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Henry Hoel, Fr., F; Carter Lichtsinn, Sr., F
 
 
UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  JT Gritzmacher; 6th season (3rd at UWL); 96-48 (overall) / 39-18 (at UWL)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  7/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Dustin Derousseau, Sr., G (2024-Honorable, 2025-First, 2025-Defensive); Sam Grieger, Jr., G (2025-First); JJ Paider, Sr., F (2024-First, 2025-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Sam Ferge, So., G; Ben Goedheer, Jr., F; Sean Ladwig, So., G; Kade Van Asten, Sr., G
 
 
UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Matt Lewis; 8th season at UWO; 124-53
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  15/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Joey LaChapell, So., G (2025-Honorable/Newcomer of the Year); Michael Metcalf-Grassman, Jr., G (2024-First/Newcomer of the Year); Carter Thomas, Sr., G (2025-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Brandon Beck, So., F; Matt Imig, Sr., G; Jonah Rindfleisch, Sr., F; Reed Seckar, Sr., G
 
 
UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Jeff Gard; 17th season at UWP; 276-144
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  11/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Joey Fuhremann, Sr., F (2025-Honorable); Max Love, Sr., F (2024-First, 2025-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Miles Hettinger, Sr., F; Bristol Lewis, Jr., G; Lucas Rameker, Jr., G; Aiden Wieczorek, Sr., G
 
 
UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Jeff Berkhof; 20th season at UWRF; 244-236
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  8/12
Starters Returning/Lost:  2/3
Returning All-WIAC:  Jack Leifker, Sr., C (2024-First, 2025-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Gavin Ralph, Sr., G; Michal Thompson, Jr., F; Jeremy Wanguhu, Sr., G
 
 
UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Kent Dernbach; 10th season (4th at UWSP); 139-73 (overall) / 40-27 (at UWSP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Josiah Butler, Jr., G (2024-Honorable, 2025-First)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Logan Baumgartner, Jr., G/F; Carter Combs, So., G; Cal Krohn, Jr., F; Seth Miron, Jr., G/F
 
 
UW-Stout
Head Coach (Interim):  Tom Webb; 1st season at UWS; 0-0
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  14/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Aiden Shore, Sr. C (2024-Honorable, 2024-Defensive); Colin Vick, Jr., G (2025-Honorable)
 
Notable Returning Players:  Colin Hudson, Jr., F; Justin Nelson, Sr., C; Mason Stoik, Jr., G; AJ Uttech, Jr., G
 
 
UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Jarod Wichser; 3rd season at UWW; 28-24
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  11/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  None
 
Notable Returning Players:  Luke Bara, Sr., G; Collin Madson, Jr., G; Brock Marino, Jr., F; Isaac Verges, Sr., G 
 
# # # # #