RELEASED:  Thursday, November 6, 2008

Warhawks Claim Men’s Basketball Preseason Nod

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the defending league champion, is the preseason choice of the conference’s sports information directors to win the 2009 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men’s basketball championship.

The Warhawks, ranked No. 4 nationally in the D3hoops.com preseason poll, earned eight first-place votes in the conference predictions and have captured 12 crowns in program history.   UW-Whitewater returns four starters, including senior Matt Goodwin who claimed WIAC Player of the Year accolades a year ago.  The quartet accounted for 1,370 of the team’s 2,265 points, 460 of the 1,009 rebounds grabbed, 263 of the 408 assists distributed and 111 of 198 steals.  The Warhawks shot 50.9 percent from the field in 2007-08 to rank fourth in the NCAA Division III.

UW-Whitewater will participate in an exhibition contest against the University of Wisconsin at the Kohl Center to start the season.

UW-Platteville received the remaining first-place tally in the conference poll and is slotted for second in the nine-team loop.  The Pioneers, ranked No. 7 nationally, place second with 19 all-time WIAC titles, including the most recent during the 2004-05 campaign.  UW-Platteville returns 98.7 percent of its scoring from last year’s team that ranked second in the NCAA Division III with a 44.0 three-point field goal percentage and third with a 51.5 field goal shooting percentage.

Senior Jeff Skemp shot 64.7 percent from the field last season to break the school record held by Rob Jeter.  Junior Curt Hanson converted 49.7 percent of his three-point attempts to place second in the country.

UW-Stevens Point, ranked No. 6 nationally, finished the 2007-08 season ranked first in the NCAA Division III in assist-turnover ratio (1.54) and sixth in scoring margin (13.7).  The Pointers also generated the third-highest totals in WIAC history with 643 three-point field goals attempted and 247 three-point field goals made, while setting a WIAC mark with 18 three-point field goals made against Carroll University (Wis.) on Nov. 17, 2007.  Senior Pete Rortvedt is 60 three-point field goals made from the breaking the conference’s all-time mark and ranks 14th on the school’s all-time list with 1,295 points.

UW-Oshkosh started the same five players in every game last season and ranked third in the NCAA Division III with a 78.7 free throw percentage.  The Titans welcome back four of those individuals and return 1,495 of their 1,883 points scored, 466 of their 744 rebounds collected, 150 of their 171 three-point baskets made and 3,588 of their 5,225 minutes played.  In the last 13 seasons, UW-Oshkosh has won a minimum of 10 WIAC contests 10 times.  Head coach Ted Van Dellen is the longest-tenured coach in the WIAC with 18 seasons in charge of the Titans and 316 victories to rank sixth on the all-time league chart.

UW-Superior returns all five starters and its top seven scorers from the 2007-08 squad.   The five starters accounted for 79.7 percent of the team’s scoring and 65.4 percent of the team’s rebounds.  A year ago, the Yellowjackets placed fifth in the WIAC standings for the best finish since 2000-01 and advanced to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign.  Seven of the Yellowjackets’ 15 losses last season were by seven points or less.

UW-Eau Claire advanced to the semifinals of the league tournament for the first time since 2002-03 last season.  Senior Dan Beyer ranks 21st on the school’s all-time list with 1,183 points.  The Blugolds established a WIAC single-game record with 41 assists against Grinnell College (Iowa) on Nov. 16, 2007.  Head coach Terry Gibbons is three wins shy of reaching 200 in his tenure with the Blugolds.

UW-La Crosse sophomore Tony Mane, who scored at least 20 points in 12 contests a year ago, matched a WIAC tournament record with 37 points against UW-Stevens Point in the quarterfinals.   Senior Brandon Brown enters the year tied for first in school record book with 137 steals.  The Eagles shot 73.8 percent from the free throw stripe in 2007-08, the second-best mark in school archives.

UW-River Falls plays seven of its first 11 games at home, including the first three games of the WIAC slate.  Last season, the Falcons lost five conference games by six points or less.  This year’s roster is strengthened by the return of sophomore Jontae Koonkaew who missed most of last year due to injury.

UW-Stout has just two seniors on the 2008-09 roster, but returns three of its top five scorers from a season ago.  The Blue Devils also have seven transfers on their preseason lineup.

2008-09 Preseason Picks (Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors)
                                                               
                                                2007-08 Record
1. UW-Whitewater (8)   13-3, 24-5
2. UW-Platteville (1)      12-4, 19-7
3. UW-Stevens Point     12-4, 23-7
4. UW-Oshkosh              11-5, 17-9
5. UW-Superior               6-10, 12-15
6. UW-Eau Claire            5-11, 12-15
7. UW-La Crosse            6-10, 11-15
8. UW-River Falls           3-13, 9-16
9. UW-Stout                    4-12, 7-19

(  )--First-Place Votes

Team Tidbits

UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach:  Terry Gibbons; 18th season (14th at UWEC); 245-214 (overall) / 197-147 (UWEC)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Dan Beyer, Sr., F (2007-Honorable, 2008-First)

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach:  Ken Koelbl; 6th season at UWL; 68-63
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/7
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Tony Mane, So., G (2008-Honorable)

UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach:  Ted Van Dellen; 19th season at UWO; 316-165
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  6/4
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  D.J. Marsh, Jr., F (2008-First); Matt Miller, Sr., G (2008-Honorable); Dane Seckar-Anderson, Sr., F (2008-Honorable)

UW-Platteville
Head Coach:  Paul Combs; 10th season (6th at UWP); 140-95 (overall) / 80-50 (UWP)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  15/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Jeff Skemp, Sr., C (2008-First); Curt Hanson, Jr., G (2008-First); Charlie Lohoff, Sr., G (2007-Honorable)

UW-River Falls
Head Coach:  Jeff Berhkof; 3rd season at UWRF; 19-32
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  6/8
Starters Returning/Lost:  1/4
Returning All-WIAC:  Jontae Koonkaew, So., G (2007-Honorable)

UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach:  Bob Semling; 4th season at UWSP; 66-20
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  11/5
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Pete Rortvedt, Sr., F (2006-Honorable, 2007-First, 2008-First); Bryan Beamish, Sr., F (2007-Honorable, 2008-First)

UW-Stout
Head Coach:  Ed Andrist; 20th season (9th at UWS); 358-288 (overall) / 108-97 (UWS)
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  9/6
Starters Returning/Lost:  3/2
Returning All-WIAC:  Jerrel-Enerson Matthews, Jr., G (2007-Honorable)

UW-Superior
Head Coach:  Dave Buchanan; 3rd season at UWS; 19-33
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  10/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  5/0
Returning All-WIAC:  Jake Smith, So., F (2008-First); Dwight Hill, Jr., G (2008-Honorable); Shane Manor, So., F (2008-Honorable)

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach:  Pat Miller, 8th season at UWW; 146-49
Letterwinners Returning/Lost:  16/3
Starters Returning/Lost:  4/1
Returning All-WIAC:  Matt Goodwin, Sr., G (2008-Player of the Year); Myles McKay, Sr., G (2008-First); Kori Vernon, Sr., F (2008-Honorable)