Titans Projected For Third Place In WIAC Basketball Standings
UW-Oshkosh is picked to finish third in the 2017-18 WIAC men's basketball standings, according to a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
UW-Oshkosh (17-11, 9-5 WIAC last season), the only WIAC program to play in both of the past two NCAA Division III postseason tournaments, has finished second in the league standings during the last two years.
Defending conference champion UW-River Falls (25-4, 12-2 WIAC) topped the WIAC preseason poll. The Falcons were followed in the projections by UW-Whitewater in second, UW-Oshkosh in third, UW-Eau Claire in fourth, UW-Stevens Point in fifth, UW-Platteville in sixth, UW-La Crosse in seventh and UW-Stout in eighth.
UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater (22-7, 9-5 WIAC) shared second place in the league standings a year ago. UW-Eau Claire (18-8, 8-6) and UW-Stevens Point (14-10, 8-6) tied for fourth, UW-La Crosse (14-13, 5-9) finished sixth, UW-Stout (13-13, 4-10) seventh and UW-Platteville (8-17, 1-13) eighth.
Last season UW-Oshkosh received an at-large berth to the NCAA postseason after reaching the final game of the WIAC Championship.
UW-Oshkosh sixth-year head coach Pat Juckem returns three double-digit scorers from last year's team that ranked 17th nationally by allowing 65.4 points per contest.
Senior guard Charlie Noone, and junior guards Ben Boots and Brett Wittchow headline UW-Oshkosh's 12 returning letter winners.
Boots and Noone earned All-WIAC first team accolades a year ago after combining to make 149 3-pointers. Boots led the team with 13.8 points per game while Noone averaged 13.5 points per contest and Wittchow 10.3.
Boots ranked second in the conference with 70 3-pointers and a .849 free throw percentage while listing fifth with 84 assists.
Noone had a WIAC-leading 79 3-pointers, and Wittchow added 29 long-range baskets.
UW-Oshkosh also welcomes back junior guard Kyle Beyak, sophomore center Jack Flynn and sophomore forward Adam Fravert, who each averaged more than 10 minutes per game last season. Flynn and Fravert tied for the team lead with 14 blocks while Flynn ranked second on the squad with 112 rebounds.
UW-River Falls, which claimed its first league title since 2004 a year ago, returns three starters, including 2017 WIAC Player of the Year Alex Herink. Herink, a senior forward, finished fourth in the conference last year with 15.9 points per game and second with 30 blocks.
UW-Whitewater brings back three starters from a team that led the league with 77.4 points per contest last year. Senior guard Chris Jones of the Warhawks paced the conference in scoring a year ago at 17.9 points per game.
UW-Eau Claire returns senior guard George Dieckelman, a two-time All-WIAC first team selection among its two returning starters and 12 lettermen.
UW-Stevens Point welcomes back four starters, including 2017 All-WIAC first team performer Ethan Bublitz. Bublitz, a junior guard, compiled a league-best .872 free throw percentage last year.
UW-Platteville also returns four starters, including junior guard Robert Duax who earned All-WIAC first team honors last season after finishing second in the league at 16.8 points per contest.
UW-La Crosse must replace four starters under interim head coach Kent Dernbach while UW-Stout has three starters back from a squad that concluded last season with a seven-game losing streak.
UW-Oshkosh commences its 2017-18 season by hosting Benedictine University (Ill.) on Nov. 15 in Kolf Sports Center. Benedictine University played in the title game of the 2016 NCAA Division III Championship. UW-Oshkosh's 14-game WIAC schedule begins at home against UW-Whitewater on Jan. 3.