2002-03 WIAC Men's Basketball Headlines

League Tops Women's Basketball Attendance Race, Men Finish Third

RELEASED: Thursday, July 3, 2003

Madison, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) led all NCAA Division III conferences in women's basketball attendance during the 2002-03 season, while placing third in the national standings in men's basketball attendance.

The nine league schools had 58,289 spectators attend the 108 women's games last season for an average of 540 per contest to help the conference capture its first attendance title. The Ohio Athletic Conference, which had 47,165 spectators in 128 affairs, finished second in the rankings.

UW-Eau Claire led all NCAA Division III women's teams, drawing 24,580 spectators in their 19 home contests. UW-Stout ranked fourth nationally with 9,687 viewers in 11 home dates.

NCAA women's attendance was compiled for the first time in 1982 and overall attendance in the three divisions has increased every year since 1984.

The WIAC ranked third nationally in men's basketball attendance during the 2002-03 campaign, drawing 89,660 spectators in 110 contests for an average of 815 per game. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference won the men's gate race with an average of 1,050 per contest.

UW-Stevens Point placed eighth in the men's race with an audience of 19,694 for 15 home dates, while UW-Stout finished 14th with 9,956 in nine games, UW-Eau Claire placed 19th with 12,093 spectators in 13 contests and UW-Platteville finished 25th in the national race with 8,869 viewers in 10 skirmishes.

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UW-La Crosse Names Koelbl Head Men's Basketball Coach

RELEASED: Tuesday, May 6, 2003

La Crosse, Wis.--The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse named Ken Koelbl as its head men's basketball coach at a press conference in the Cleary Alumni & Friends Center on campus this afternoon.

"I'm very excited to be named the next head coach at UW-La Crosse," said Koelbl. "I believe there is a lot of potential here. It's a great school academically with outstanding facilities. La Crosse is a great city to recruit student-athletes to and the athletic department here has a track record for success. My goal is to bring the same success to the basketball program as the other teams."

Koelbl served as an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point since 1995. He also served as the Pointers' recruiting coordinator and basketball camp administrator/instructor. Koelbl has helped lead the Pointers to four straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, including the 2002-03 season when the team finished 24-4 overall. UW-Stevens Point advanced to the NCAA III Tournament "Elite Eight" in 1997 and 2000.

"I'm very appreciative of what I had at UW-Stevens Point and what I learned from coach Bennett," said Koelbl. "I wouldn't be in this position today without my experiences at UW-Stevens Point."

"We are very happy and pleased that Ken has agreed to become UW-L's men's basketball coach," said UW-L Athletic Director Joe Baker. "Ken has the skills and background that we were looking for in this position. He has experience in recruiting the state of Wisconsin and already knows the high school coaches. He knows the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and its style of play, he knows the La Crosse community having grown-up and competed locally, he has outstanding personal and coaching skills, and he possesses a great basketball background."

"Ken has observed our program and institution for many years, and through our recent conversations he feels that it is a perfect fit for him," added Baker. "We look forward to many years of success in our men's basketball program with Ken Koelbl as our coach."

Koelbl, who earned his bachelor's degree from Viterbo University (1990) and master's degree from South Dakota State University (1994), was an assistant coach at Viterbo from 1990-92 before serving as a graduate assistant coach at South Dakota State from 1992-94. Following his position at South Dakota State, Koelbl served as head assistant coach at St. Mary's (Minn.) University from 1994-95. A 1996 inductee into the Viterbo University Athletic Hall of Fame, Koelbl was a NAIA Baseball and Basketball District 14 selection in 1990.

A native of Onalaska, Wis., Koelbl and his wife, Ellen, have three children, Kyle (1997), Kelsey (1999) and Kevin (2000).

UW-L posted a 6-20 overall and 2-14 record in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last season.

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UW-Platteville Names Combs Men's Basketball Coach

RELEASED: Wednesday, April 16, 2003

Platteville, Wis.--The University of Wisconsin-Platteville introduced Paul Combs Wednesday as the 13th head men's basketball coach of the Pioneers.

Combs was introduced to the UW-Platteville community in a packed press conference late in the afternoon.

"I'm overwhelmed by this audience," Combs said. "This is a sign of good things to come...It's a great day, and we're excited to be here."

Combs turned Lakeland College around in his four-year tenure, taking over a program that had won 20 games in the three previous years and led the Muskies to a 60-45 mark. The Sheboygan school won 10 games in 1999-2000, then 15, 16 and 19. Combs' 2002-03 club was 19-8 overall and won its second consecutive Lake Michigan Conference title. The Muskies also achieved their first-ever NCAA Division III regional ranking and ranked 15th in the final national scoring defensive rankings (62.3 ppg). Under Combs, the Muskies have a home-court record of 23-1 in the last two years. Lakeland captured the eight-team Clarke College Holiday Tournament title in December, beating nationally ranked Cardinal Stritch 68-67 in the title game. Cardinal Stritch defeated UW-Platteville 87-80 in the tournament semifinals, and the Pioneers then wound up in fourth place.

Combs inherits a UW-Platteville program coming off three straight 7-9 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference finishes. Seven seniors graduated from this year's 11-15 Pioneer team, while six lettermen return.

The new coach is excited about the 2003-04 Pioneers and the task ahead.

"I told the team we're not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow," he said. "Take care of business today and become the best you can be. That's what we can control."

UW-Platteville is steeped in basketball tradition, as current Badger Coach Bo Ryan built the program into the nation's winningest program in the 1990s, with a 266-26 mark and four national championships in the decade. Combs is eager to embrace that tradition.

"The rich tradition is a positive," he said. "Having Coach Ryan and his staff 60 miles down the road is a benefit. They're professional colleagues of mine and friends of mine. We're going to try and emulate a lot of those traits. We're very proud of what happened here in the 1990s and we're going to build off that."

One trait the Pioneers will continue to display is strong defense, Combs said.

"Every great team needs solid defense," he said. "We're going to feed off our defense to set up the offense."

Before Lakeland, Combs had been the top assistant at Ripon College, helping his alma mater to a 102-21 record with four NCAA Division III appearances in his five years. Combs earned his bachelor's degree in Business Management from Ripon in 1993. He was a point guard and captain of the Red Hawks' nationally-ranked team in 1992-93. He will complete his master's degree in Educational Leadership at UW-Oshkosh this summer.

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UW-Oshkosh's Dworak and UW-River Falls' Melzer Earn Men's Basketball All-America Accolades

RELEASED: Monday, March 31, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak and UW-River Falls' Rich Melzer have been named to the 2003 D3hoops.com and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division III All-America Teams. Dworak was a first team pick to the D3hoops.com team and a second team selection by the NABC, while Melzer earned first team recognition from the NABC and second team accolades from D3hoops.com.

Dworak, a senior forward from Kewaunee, Wis., was a third team pick to the D3hoops.com All-America squad and a first team selection to the NABC team a year ago. He led the Titans to the 2003 WIAC Tournament title and the sectional finals of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Dworak was named the league's Player of the Year for the second straight season after leading the league in field goal percentage (.635), while ranking second in scoring (22.7), fourth in blocked shots (1.41), fifth in rebounding (7.6) and eighth in steals (1.47).

He scored in double figures in 69 straight contests and 87 of the last 89 games, while helping the Titans to an 82-33 record during his four seasons, the best four-year run in the 105-year history of the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball program.

Dworak finished his career with 1,999 points and 784 rebounds, the second and third-highest totals in school history, respectively. His career point total also ranks sixth in league history, while his .610 field goal percentage (730-1196) ranks second and his 624 free throws attempted and 486 free throws made both rank third on the conference list.

Joining Dworak on D3hoops.com first team were Drew Carstens of Augustana (Ill.), Willie Chandler of Misericordia (Pa.), Derek Reich of Chicago (Ill.) and Joel Kolmodin of Wheaton (Ill.).

Melzer, a junior forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls, Wis. H.S.), earned West Region Player of the Year honors earlier this year from the NABC and also was named the league's Player of the Year. He led the league in scoring (28.1), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.08), while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.559). Melzer also led the league with 15 double-doubles (points-rebounds) and has scored in double figures in 51 straight games and 71 of 75 contests. He posted a NCAA Division III single-game high of 54 points this season against UW-La Crosse on January 29. His mark was also the fourth highest total in league history.

Melzer averaged 29.0 points per conference game this year, setting a new league mark for points per contest. He also established a new league scoring mark in the 16-game slate with 464 points, surpassing UW-Superior's Jim Sevals' mark of 436 set in 1966.

Melzer is currently fifth in both scoring and rebounding in school history with 1,636 points and 591 rebounds. His 142 career blocks rank him third in the league's all-time list.

Joining Mezler on the NABC first team were Derek Reich of Chicago (Ill.), Bryan Nelson of Wooster (Ohio), Charles Ransom of Ramapo (N.J.), Joe Finley of Hamilton (N.Y.), Willie Chandler of Misericordia (Pa.), Jared Mills of Randolph-Macon (Va.) and Steve Zieja of Amherst (Mass.).

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UW-River Falls' Melzer Named NABC West Region Player of the Year, UW-Stevens Point's Bennett Named Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Tuesday, March 25, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Rich Melzer was voted the 2003 West District Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett was voted the district Coach of the Year by the organization for their efforts during the 2002-03 season.

The NABC also announced the all-district squad and joining Melzer on the first team were UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak, UW-Stevens Point's Josh Iserloth and UW-Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis-Byers. Second team selections included UW-Eau Claire's Jason Larson and UW-Platteville's Tyler Selk.

Melzer, a junior forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls H.S.), earned NABC All-West District First Team honors for the second straight year. He was named the 2003 WIAC Co-Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring (28.1), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.08), while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.559). He also led the league with 15 double-doubles and scored in double figures in 51 straight games and 71 of 75 contests. Melzer posted a NCAA Division III single-game high of 54 points this season against UW-La Crosse on January 29. His mark was also the fourth highest total in league history.

Dworak, a senior forward from Kewaunee, Wis., earned NABC All-West District First Team accolades for the second consecutive season. He led the Titans to the WIAC Tournament title and the sectional finals of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Dworak was named the league's 2003 Co-Player of the Year after leading the league in field goal percentage (.635), while ranking second in scoring (22.7), fourth in blocked shots (1.41), fifth in rebounding (7.6) and eighth in steals (1.47). He posted eight double-doubles for UW-Oshkosh last year and scored in double figures in 69 straight contests and 87 of the last 89 games.

Iserloth, a senior forward from Plymouth, Wis., led the Pointers to a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament and their fourth straight WIAC championship to become one of just 14 players in league history to participate on four men's basketball championship teams. He ranked third in the conference in blocked shots (1.68), eighth in scoring (16.9), ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.418) and field goal percentage (.471). Iserloth ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,544 points and received all-district first team accolades from the NABC a year ago.

Lewis-Byers, a senior forward from Janesville, Wis. (Craig H.S.), was an All-West District Second Team pick in 2002. Earlier this year, he became the first player in league history to earn All-WIAC First Team accolades all four seasons. Lewis-Byers ranked fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.579), seventh in scoring (17.1) and ninth in blocked shots (.75). He ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,958 points and also holds the conference record with 598 free throws made and 783 free throws attempted in his career.

Larson, a senior guard from Sugar Land, Texas (Stephen F. Austin H.S.), ranked second in the WIAC in assists (3.81), third in scoring (22.1) and three-point field goals made (2.59), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.440), seventh in steals (1.56) and eighth in rebounding (6.0). He surpassed the 30-point plateau on six occasions during the 2002-03 campaign.

Selk, a senior forward from Randolph, Wis., earned All-West District Second Team honors for second straight season. He ranked second in the conference in rebounding (8.9), third in assists (3.81), sixth in scoring (17.4), seventh in free throw percentage (.830) and eighth in field goal percentage (.488). He also recorded 10 double-doubles during the 2002-03 campaign and finished his career second on the Pioneer all-time list with 1,621 points and 818 rebounds.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett guided the Pointers to a 24-4 mark, their fourth straight WIAC title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He has compiled a 142-48 overall record in his seven years at the school, including four 20-win seasons.

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Six Earn D3hoops.com All-West Region Men's Basketball Honors

RELEASED: Tuesday, March 25, 2003

Madison, Wis.--Six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball players have been named to the 2003 D3hoops.com All-West Region Team. UW-Eau Claire's Jason Larson, UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak and UW-River Falls' Rich Melzer were named to the five-member first team, while UW-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz, UW-Stevens Point's Josh Iserloth and UW-Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis-Byers received honors on the five-member third team.

The six selections by the league on the all-region team were the most by any conference in the country. Additionally, the six picks were the most by the association in the two-year history of the squad.

Larson, a senior guard from Sugar Land, Texas (Stephen F. Austin H.S.), ranked second in the WIAC in assists (3.81), third in scoring (22.1) and three-point field goals made (2.59), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.440), seventh in steals (1.56) and eighth in rebounding (6.0). He surpassed the 30-point plateau on six occasions during the 2002-03 campaign.

Dworak, a senior forward from Kewaunee, Wis., earned first team all-region honors for the second straight year from D3hoops.com. He led the Titans to the WIAC Tournament title and the sectional finals of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Dworak was named the league's Player of the Year for the second straight season after leading the league in field goal percentage (.635), while ranking second in scoring (22.7), fourth in blocked shots (1.41), fifth in rebounding (7.6) and eighth in steals (1.47). He posted eight double-doubles for UW-Oshkosh last year and scored in double figures in 69 straight contests and 87 of the last 89 games.

Melzer, a junior forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls H.S.), was named the WIAC Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring (28.1), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.08), while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.559). He also led the league with 15 double-doubles and scored in double figures in 51 straight games and 71 of 75 contests. Melzer posted a NCAA Division III single-game high of 54 points this season against UW-La Crosse on January 29. His mark was also the fourth highest total in league history.

Taggatz, a junior guard from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), ranked second in the league in three-point field goals made (2.62), fourth in scoring (19.4), fifth in free throw percentage (.851) and 10th in assists (2.85) and three-point field goal percentage (.417). He is shooting 41.7 percent (145-of-348) from three-point range in his career, fifth in UW-La Crosse history.

Iserloth, a senior forward from Plymouth, Wis., led the Pointers to a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament and their fourth straight WIAC championship to become one of just 14 players in league history to participate on four men's basketball championship teams. He ranked third in the conference in blocked shots (1.68), eighth in scoring (16.9), ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.418) and field goal percentage (.471). Iserloth ranks fourth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,544 points and received all-region second team accolades a year ago.

Lewis-Byers, a senior forward from Janesville, Wis. (Craig H.S.), was an all-region second team pick in 2002. Earlier this year, he became the first player in league history to earn All-WIAC First Team accolades all four seasons. Lewis-Byers ranked fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.579), seventh in scoring (17.1) and ninth in blocked shots (.75). He ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,958 points and also holds the conference record with 598 free throws made and 783 free throws attempted in his career.

The D3hoops.com all-region teams were voted on by sports information directors throughout the country.

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UW-Oshkosh To Travel To Virginia For NCAA Men's Basketball Sectional

RELEASED: Monday, March 10, 2003

Oshkosh, Wis.--The UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team will play its "Sweet Sixteen" contest of the NCAA Division III Championship against top-ranked Randolph-Macon College (Va.) on Friday (March 14) at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. CST) in Ashland, Va.

UW-Oshkosh (24-6), fresh off post-season wins of 78-56 over the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) on Thursday (March 6) and 84-77 over Hope College (Mich.) on Saturday (March 8), enters Friday's contest against the Yellow Jackets ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by D3Hoops.com. Despite its top-ranking, Randolph-Macon College (28-1) had to rally in overtime on Saturday to defeat Alvernia College (Pa.), 72-69, in its lone post-season debate.

Also on Friday in Randolph-Macon College's Crenshaw Gymnasium (1,680), fourth-ranked Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) meets 14th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University at 6 p.m. (5 p.m. CST). Hampden-Sydney College owns a 26-2 record this season, while Illinois Wesleyan University is 22-5. The two Friday winners battle on Saturday (March 15) at 7 p.m. (6 p.m. CST) on the Crenshaw Gymnasium hardwood for the right to advance to the NCAA Division III Final Four on March 21-22 in Salem, Va.

UW-Oshkosh fans will be allowed to purchase up to 250 tickets for Friday's game against Randolph-Macon College and up to 800 on Saturday if the Titans should defeat the Yellowjackets. UW-Oshkosh fans interested in attending the game(s) should contact the UW-Oshkosh athletic office at (920) 424-1034 for tickets.

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UW-Oshkosh's Dworak and UW-River Falls' Melzer Top All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team

RELEASED: Thursday, March 6, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh senior forward Tim Dworak and UW-River Falls junior forward Rich Melzer were voted Co-Players of the Year by the league coaches, headlining the 10 individuals selected to the 2002-03 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Basketball Team.

This marks the fourth time in conference history that two individuals have shared the league's top honor. The award was split between UW-Stevens Point's Terry Porter and UW-Whitewater's Andre McKoy in 1984, UW-Eau Claire's Gib Hinz and UW-Whitewater's Mike Gutter in 1980 and UW-Eau Claire's Frank Schade and Mike Ratliff in 1972.

Dworak led the Titans to the WIAC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight season. He leads the league in field goal percentage (.626), while ranking third in scoring (21.8), fourth in rebounding (7.8) and blocked shots (1.39) and eighth in steals (1.46).

Dworak has recorded eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) this season and has scored in double figures in 65 straight contests and 83 of the last 85 games. He ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,885 points and sixth with 757 rebounds. Dworak was a National Association of Basketball Coaches All-America First Team selection last season.

Dworak becomes the fifth player in league history to win the player of the year honor in back-to-back seasons, joining UW-Stevens Point's Terry Porter (1984-85), UW-Eau Claire's Gib Hinz (1979-80), UW-Oshkosh's Ralph Sims (1977-78) and UW-Eau Claire's Mike Ratliff (1970-72).

Melzer becomes the second Falcon to win the conference's player of the year honor, joining Jeff Payton who won the award during the 1982-83 campaign. Melzer leads the league in scoring (28.1), rebounding (9.7) and blocked shots (2.08), while ranking fifth in field goal percentage (.559). He also has a league-leading 15 double-doubles (points-rebounds) to his credit this season and has scored in double figures in 51 straight games and 71 of 75 contests.

Melzer posted a NCAA Division III single-game high of 54 points this season against UW-La Crosse on January 29. His mark was the fourth highest total in league history and matches Missouri-Kansas City's Michael Watson for the highest mark in all NCAA men's basketball divisions during the 2002-03 campaign.

Melzer averaged 29.0 points per conference game this year, setting a new league mark for points per contest. He also established a new league scoring mark in the 16-game slate with 464 points, surpassing UW-Superior's Jim Sevals' mark of 436 set in 1966.

UW-Oshkosh's Scott Sowinski also garnered All-WIAC First Team honors. He ranks third in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.458), sixth in field goal percentage (.538), free throw percentage (.833) and three-point field goals made (1.81), ninth in scoring (15.0) and 10th in blocked shots (.70).

UW-Stevens Point's Josh Iserloth and Jason Kalsow helped the Pointers to their fourth straight conference title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Pointers are the fifth team in conference history to win four straight men's basketball titles.

Iserloth, a three-time All-WIAC selection, is one of just 14 players in league history to participate on four men's basketball championship teams. He ranks second in the conference in blocked shots (1.74), eighth in scoring (16.9) and three-point field goal percentage (.430) and ninth in field goal percentage (.473). Iserloth ranks fifth on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,537 points.

Kalsow ranks third in the association in field goal percentage (.603) and is sixth in rebounding (7.4), assists (3.59) and blocked shots (1.11).

UW-Eau Claire's Jason Larson ranks second in the league in scoring (22.1) and assists (3.81), third in three-point field goals made (2.59), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.440), seventh in steals (1.56) and eighth in rebounding (6.0). He surpassed the 30-point plateau on six occasions this year and was a honorable mention pick last season.

UW-Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis-Byers helped the Warhawks to their second straight 21-win campaign and earned All-WIAC First Team honors for the fourth straight year, becoming the first player in league history to earn first team accolades all four seasons. He is fourth in the league in field goal percentage (.579), while ranking seventh in scoring (17.1) and ninth in blocked shots (.75). Lewis-Byers ranks second on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,958 points, a mark that also puts him seventh on league's career list. He also holds the conference record with 598 free throws made in his career.

UW-Platteville's Tyler Selk is a three-time All-WIAC First Team selection and ranks second in the conference in rebounding (8.9), third in assists (3.81), sixth in scoring (17.4), seventh in free throw percentage (.830) and eighth in field goal percentage (.488). He also recorded 10 double-doubles (points-rebounds) during the 2002-03 campaign and finished his career second on the Pioneer all-time list with 1,621 points and 818 rebounds.

UW-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz is second in the league in three-point field goals made (2.62), fourth in scoring (19.4), fifth in free throw percentage (.851) and 10th in assists (2.85) and three-point field goal percentage (.417). He led the Eagles in scoring in 20 of 26 contests this year.

UW-Superior's Cody Kastern ranks fifth in the conference in scoring (18.2) and rebounding (7.7), sixth in steals (1.56) and seventh in field goal percentage (.501) and blocked shots (.96).

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-Oshkosh's Nate Miller, UW-Platteville's Bryan Stangel, UW-Stout's Andy Bray, Casey Chapman and Nate Templer and UW-Whitewater's Londen Donlow.

UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett was voted the 2002-03 Coach of the Year by the league coaches. Bennett also earned the conference honor during the 1999-2000 season and has compiled a 142-47 overall record in his seven seasons at the helm of the Pointers, including four straight league crowns.

2002-03 All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team

First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Rich Melzer, River Falls, Junior, Forward, 6-8, Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls)
Tim Dworak, Oshkosh, Senior, Forward, 6-7, Kewaunee
Josh Iserloth, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 6-8, Plymouth
Jason Larson, Eau Claire, Senior, Guard, 6-1, Sugar Land, Texas (Stephen F. Austin)
Aubrey Lewis-Byers, Whitewater, Senior, Forward, 6-3, Janesville (Craig)
Tyler Selk, Platteville, Senior, Forward, 6-5, Randolph
Jason Kalsow, Stevens Point, Sophomore, Forward, 6-7, Huntley, Ill.
Casey Taggatz, La Crosse, Junior, Guard, 5-10, Stevens Point (SPASH)
Cody Kastern, Superior, Junior, Forward, 6-7, Superior (Senior)
Scott Sowinski, Oshkosh, Senior, Forward, 6-4, Appleton (Xavier)

Honorable Mention
Londen Donlow, Whitewater, Junior, Guard, 6-5, Whitefish Bay (Dominican)
Andy Bray, Stout, Junior, Forward, 6-8, Menominee, Mich.
Nate Templer, Stout, Junior, Forward, 6-5, Beaver Dam
Nate Miller, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 5-11, Hudson
Bryan Stangel, Platteville, Senior, Forward, 6-5, Monroe
Casey Chapman, Stout, Senior, Guard, 6-1, Hartland (Arrowhead)

Co-Players of the Year: Tim Dworak of Oshkosh and Rich Melzer of River Falls

Coach of the Year: Jack Bennett of Stevens Point

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UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point Receive NCAA Men's Tournament Bids

RELEASED: Sunday, March 2, 2003

Madison, Wis.--For the first time since 2000, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) will have two teams participating in the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament. UW-Oshkosh and UW-Stevens Point both received bids to the 48-team tournament, which begins Thursday, March 6.

UW-Oshkosh (22-6) will host Milwaukee School of Engineering (13-15) on Thursday, March 6 at Kolf Sports Center. MSOE received a ticket to the national tournament by winning the Lake Michigan Conference tournament, despite entering the competition as the No. 6 seed.

UW-Oshkosh advanced to the national tournament by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament title with a 68-63 victory at UW-Whitewater on Saturday, March 1.

The winner of the Oshkosh/Milwaukee School of Engineering game will travel to Hope (Mich.) on Saturday, March 8 for a second round contest. Hope (23-4) won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament to get an automatic ticket to the national tournament.

The postseason appearance for UW-Oshkosh is the fifth in school history. The Titans advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" in last year's tournament. They also qualified for postseason play in 1998, 1997 and 1996.

UW-Stevens Point (24-3) received one of just seven at-large bids into the tournament and will host a second round contest on March 8 at Quandt Fieldhouse. The Pointers claimed their fourth straight WIAC regular season title this year and will host the winner of a first round matchup between Whitworth (Wash.) and Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.).

Whitworth enters the tournament with a 23-3 mark after claiming the Northwest Conference tournament title, while Gustavus won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament crown and sports a 21-6 record.

UW-Stevens Point also made national tournament appearances in 1997 and 2000, reaching the "Elite Eight" both seasons.

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UW-La Crosse's Taggatz Named Academic All-District Second Team

RELEASED: Monday, February 24, 2003

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz had been named to the 2003 Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District Five Men's Basketball Second Team.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA players from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Five individuals were named to both the first and second teams.

Taggatz, a junior guard from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), is majoring in business and maintains a 3.50 grade point average.

Taggatz leads UW-La Crosse with 19.5 points per game, 72 assists, 64 three-point field goals made and 29 steals. He ranks third in the league with 2.67 three-point field goals per game, fourth in scoring and a .854 free throw percentage, seventh with 3.00 assists per game and 10th with a .413 three point field goal percentage.

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La Crosse, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point claimed the 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball championship with a 75-39 victory over UW-La Crosse at Mitchell Hall on February 15.

The league title for UW-Stevens Point is their fourth straight, becoming the fifth team in conference history to win four straight men's basketball titles.

UW-Stevens Point shared titles in 2001-02 and 2000-01, while claiming the league crown outright in 1999-2000. Other teams to win or share at least four straight crowns were UW-Platteville from 1995-99, UW-Stevens Point from 1982-87, UW-Eau Claire from 1979-82 and 1970-74.

Josh Iserloth led UW-Stevens Point, which entered the game ranked seventh nationally by D3hoops.com, with a game-high 21 points, including 15 in the first half as the Pointers claimed an early 12-2 lead and raced to a 41-21 halftime advantage.

Jason Kalsow added 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Neal Krajnik contributed 11 points for the Pointers. UW-Stevens Point outscored UW-La Crosse 34-6 in the paint and recorded 13 blocked shots in the hardwood fray, while holding the Eagles to a season-low point total.

Casey Taggatz led UW-La Crosse with 19 points on eight-for-15 shooting from the field.

The Pointers also earned the top seed for the WIAC Tournament which begins on Tuesday, February 25 and will play at home for the duration of the event. The winner of the WIAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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Nadborne Named UW-La Crosse Interim Men's Basketball Head Coach

RELEASED: Friday, August 30, 2002

La Crosse, Wis.--The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has named Brad Nadborne as its interim head men’s basketball coach/instructor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science. He begins his duties Tuesday, Sept. 3.

“This is a great opportunity for myself,” says Nadborne. “I really look forward to working with the student-athletes and the La Crosse community.”

UW-L posted a 17-9 record last season and finished fourth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a 10-6 mark. “This is unquestionably one of the toughest conferences in the country,” says Nadborne. “I’m excited about the chance to come and build on the recent success of the program.

“Brad comes to us with a wealth of experience at the Division I and III levels,” says UW-L Athletics Director Joe Baker. “He played at the Division III level and knows the definition of a student-athlete. This is a one-year interim position and he will be a candidate for the full-time opening next year.”

Nadborne has served as an assistant coach at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana since 2000. The Tigers were 43-10 in Nadborne’s two seasons as an assistant, including a 24-4 mark in 2001-02. DePauw won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title last year and advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight. The Tigers were ranked as high as second in the nation last season.

Along with his coaching experience at DePauw, Nadborne served as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado from 1986-88 and at Cornell University (N.Y.) from 1981-86.

Nadborne, a 1981 graduate of DePauw, was a varsity letterwinner for the Tigers and served as team captain.

Other professional experience includes trading commodities on the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange from 1989-2000. Nadborne earned his law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago in 1993.

Nadborne and his wife, Michele, currently reside in Greencastle.

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Miller Named Whitewater Men's Basketball Head Coach

RELEASED: As Desired

Pat Miller has been named head men’s basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Miller served as interim head coach for the past year, after eight years as an assistant coach.

Miller guided UW-W to a 21-7 mark and a share of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title last season. In addition to his basketball responsibilities he served as a lecturer in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Coaching. He joined the UW-W staff as assistant basketball coach for the 1993-94 school year, and one year later added duties as the head women’s golf coach.

Miller is a 1989 graduate of UW-Whitewater, having played three years for Vander Meulen. Miller ranks third in school history in three point field goals attempted (371), made (178) and accuracy (.480). Miller’s bset season was in 1988-89, when the Warhawks won the NCAA III championship. That season Miller scored 16.6 points per game, and made 107 three’s (third highest single season total).

Prior to returning to Whitewater, Miller was head boy’s basketball coach at Harvard High School (IL) for two years. At Harvard, Miller coach the team to a Marengo Regional championship in the 1992-93 season, when he was voted the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association District Coach of the Year.

Miller returns eleven letterwinners, including four starters, from his 2001-02 team. The returnees include three time First Team All-WIAC forward Aubrey Lewis-Byers, and honorable mention all-league forward Londen Donlow. The two players that will need to be replaced are all-WIAC guard Jake Wolter and three-year letterwinner Kevin Martin, both seniors in 2001-2002.

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The WIAC story: Johnson writing book about conference
by Kirk Bey of the La Crosse Tribune

For now, the stories and anecdotes are tucked away in John Johnson's three-ring binder or on his computer. If Johnson has his way, though, the public will get to read them someday soon.

The stories, Johnson says, simply are too good to keep to himself. Among Johnson's notes, he has stories about coaches who rose from humble beginnings to reach the pinnacle of their profession. Stories of powerhouse teams whose version of March Madness never has been - nor never will be - televised on CBS. And stories of athletes who play NCAA Division III men's college basketball because they're passionate about the game.

By the end of the year, Johnson's collection of stories about the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference could be sitting on the same shelves next to well-known sports books by authors like John Feinstein and the late Dick Schaap. At least that's what Johnson is hoping, because for the last 101/2 months, Johnson has traveled the state doing extensive research and interviewing the people he believes make the WIAC the premier small-college conference in the nation.

The project has been a labor of love for Johnson, who attended UW-Stevens Point and was an assistant coach for the Pointers from 1989-92. It's meant trying to write while holding down a full-time job as assistant director of admissions for Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minn. It's meant spending nights and weekends on the road visiting places like Mitchell Hall - where he watched UW-La Crosse play UW-River Falls last weekend - instead of being at home in Neenah, Wis., with his wife of six months, Bobbi Jo.

To get the kind of book he wants, though, - a book tentatively titled, "A Championship is a Journey: Playing for Love of the Game" - Johnson is more that willing to go the distance and put his heart and soul into every page.

"I've always had a love for this league. Maybe I'm biased, but I think this is the best Division III league in the nation," said Johnson, a 34-year-old Sheboygan, Wis., native. "I wanted to find a way to stay involved with this league, so during Christmas, 2000, I told my wife that I should write a book about the WIAC. It just kind of took off from there."

Johnson started working on the book last February during the 2001 WIAC Tournament, and he hasn't slowed down since.

As of last weekend, Johnson had completed five of what will be a 20-chapter book. He's written a chapter about UW-Stevens Point coach Jack Bennett and his son, Jay, a freshman for the Pointers. He will have chapters on Dick Bennett - a top-notch coach at UW-Stevens Point long before he coached at UW-Green Bay and Wisconsin - and current Badgers coach Bo Ryan, who led UW-Platteville to four Division III national titles in the 1990s.

However, Johnson believes the heart and soul of the book will be in-depth looks at all nine teams in the WIAC - including longer chapters on traditional WIAC dynasties like UW-Eau Claire and UW-Whitewater. Several coaches have allowed Johnson locker room access before and after games - and in UW-Stevens Point's case, travel on the team bus to UW-Whitewater - giving him a perspective the average spectator doesn't see.

"It's helped being right there with these teams. Having access to them was something that I felt needed to be a part of the book," Johnson said. "I don't really censor anything, but I won't use expletives or four-letter words."

Going to your local bookstore and finding a sports book that anyone in the family could read isn't always easy. Granted, athletes and coaches aren't perfect - they drink, curse and cheat on their spouses/girlfriends.

But after awhile, stories of chair-throwing coaches (Bobby Knight) and cross-dressing NBA players (Dennis Rodman) lose their novelty in a hurry.

That's why Johnson is hoping to find a publisher and share his stories of WIAC basketball with the public. He thinks people will like what they read.

"These kids are playing for love of the game," Johnson said. "This is college basketball in its purest form."

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