Men’s Basketball Team Honored By Wisconsin Assembly
The NCAA Division III champion UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team was recognized by members of the Wisconsin State Assembly on Tuesday (April 9) at the Capitol building in Madison.
Representative Gordon Hintz, an Oshkosh native who serves as the Democratic Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, met with the Titans and helped present a resolution from the Wisconsin Legislature to the team on the Senate floor.
Seven members of the UW-Oshkosh team, along coaches Matt Lewis and Casey Korn, and UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Andrew Leavitt were in attendance.
UW-Oshkosh won its first NCAA Division III men's basketball championship with a convincing 96-82 victory over Swarthmore College (Pa.) in the title game of the 64-team tournament held March 16 in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Guided by interim head coach Matt Lewis, UW-Oshkosh averaged 93 points during its six-game postseason run to the national title and produced a margin of victory of at least 11 points in five of those contests. The Titans advanced to the national championship game with a 104-85 victory over Wheaton College (Ill.).
The balanced Titan starting lineup of seniors Ben Boots and Brett Wittchow, juniors Adam Fravert and Jack Flynn, and sophomore Connor Duax each scored in double figures during both games at the Final Four. Flynn was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after scoring a career-high 33 points during the championship contest against Swarthmore College.
UW-Oshkosh's Ben Boots, the 2019 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year, received All-America First Team honors by both the National Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com. Titan Jack Flynn collected All-America Fourth Team honors by D3hoops.com while Matt Lewis was named National Coach of the Year by both organizations.
UW-Oshkosh, which lost a 78-72 decision to Nebraska Wesleyan University in the 2018 NCAA Division III Championship title game, finished the 2018-19 season with a 29-3 record as the university produced its 47th team national championship. The Titans won a school-record 21 consecutive games during the recently concluded season and captured their first outright WIAC championship since 1978.
"We are very fortunate to have incredible young men in our program," said Lewis as he addressed the assembly. "I say it often, but good teams have good players and great teams have great teammates. It is an incredible honor to work with all the student-athletes in our program, especially the ones from Wisconsin."
Along with celebrating his players, Lewis took the opportunity to thank those in the Wisconsin Assembly for all they do for Wisconsin.
"There is something special about a high school student from Wisconsin that goes on to college, especially those staying in the state and in the UW system," Lewis said. "Thank you for everything you do to support Wisconsin high schools and the UW system."
Members of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team were also recognized at Wednesday's (April 10) professional basketball game in Milwaukee between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.