Men's Basketball

UW-Platteville’s Probst Named Men’s Basketball Max Sparger Scholar Athlete

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville’s Ben Probst has been named the recipient of the 2025 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Basketball Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award.
 
A senior from Madison, Wis. (La Follette), Probst is majoring in business finance with a minor in sports management and maintains a 3.735 grade point average. He secured a spot on the 2024 NCAA Division III Academic All-District® Men’s Basketball Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court in 2023 and 2024. Probst is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and been recognized on UW-Platteville’s Dean’s List and Honor Roll numerous semesters.
 
A three-year team captain, Probst has secured All-WIAC honorable mention honors in 2024 and 2025. He has helped UW-Platteville win WIAC regular-season championships and tournament titles in 2021, 2024 and 2025. The Pioneers advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship. He owns the program records for career three-point field goals made, single season three-point field goals made and single game three-point field goals made.
 
Probst is a member of UW-Platteville’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council. He has volunteered with Reading with the Pioneers, Iowa County Food Pantry and Grant County Food Pantry.
 
Also nominated for this year’s scholar-athlete award were: UW-Eau Claire’s Michael Casper (Sr., Merrill, Wis./Merrill); UW-La Crosse’s Torrin Hannah (Sr., Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb); UW-River Falls’ Mason Anderson (Sr., Ellsworth, Wis./Ellsworth); and UW-Whitewater’s Carter Capstran (Sr., Franklin, Wis./Franklin).
 
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. The award is based on academic achievements, athletics accomplishments and involvement in other campus activities, organizations and community service projects.
 
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