Boots Collects Preseason All-America Honors
UW-Oshkosh senior guard Ben Boots has been named a 2018-19 NCAA Division III preseason All-America men's basketball selection by D3hoops.com.
Boots, a 2018 D3hoops.com All-Central Region second team selection a year ago, is the first Titan to receive preseason All-America accolades from D3hoops.com, which started its preseason recognition program with the 2011-12 season.
Boots, who was chosen to the honorable mention team, is one of two WIAC players on this year's D3hoops.com Preseason All-America Team. UW-Platteville senior guard Robert Duax, the league's reigning Player of the Year, who was named to the Second Team.
The D3hoops.com Preseason All-America teams are comprised of five five-member squads. Boots and Duax are among 16 guards named to the five All-America teams.
Last season Boots helped UW-Oshkosh to a 25-8 record and the program's first trip to the NCAA Division III Championship title game, where the Titans lost by a 78-72 score to Nebraska Wesleyan University. Nebraska Wesleyan University will open its title defense with a nation-leading three players on the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America Team.
Boots started all 33 games last year, averaging a team-high 16 points, 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. He paced the WIAC with 529 points, 145 assists and a 2.20 assist-to-turnover ratio. Boots also ranked second in the league in free throw percentage (.856) and third in both scoring and 3-pointers made (76).
Boots had 29 double-digit scoring efforts last season, including a career-high 36 points with six assists during the Titans' 95-88 overtime win over Augustana College (Ill.) in the national tournament quarterfinals. He also tallied 25 points against Ripon College, 24 points with five rebounds and four assists during the title game against Nebraska Wesleyan University, and 22 points with 10 rebounds and six assists against Calvin College (Mich.).
During his 89-game career Boots has averaged 13.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals per contest. He ranks 17th in UW-Oshkosh history with 1,194 career points and ninth with 185 career 3-pointers.
UW-Oshkosh has reached the NCAA postseason each of Boots' three seasons. The Titans matched the school record for wins last year while eclipsing program marks with 2,482 points and 301 30-pointers made.
Boots and the Titans get the season underway with an exhibition contest at NCAA Division I member University of Wisconsin on Nov. 2 in Madison. UW-Oshkosh opens the regular season against Piedmont College (Ga.) on Nov. 16 in Wheaton, Ill.