Oshkosh's Dworak Leads All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team

NEWS RELEASE
Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Matt Stanek * Sports Information Director * 780 Regent Street * Madison, WI 53715 * Phone: (608) 265-6406 * www.uwsa.edu/wiac/

RELEASED: Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh junior forward Tim Dworak was named the Player of the Year, headlining the group of 10 performers selected to the 2001-02 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Basketball Team.

Dworak led the Titans to a share of the WIAC championship, their first league title since 1977-78, and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. He leads the conference in scoring (23.4), rebounding (8.6) and field goal percentage (.649), while ranking third in steals (1.85). Dworak earned All-WIAC honorable mention honors last season.

Dworak also has a league-high 10 double-doubles (points-rebounds) to his credit this season. Dating back to last year, he has scored in double figures in 34 consecutive contests.

Dworak's scoring average of 26.3 points in conference games is the highest in the league since Oshkosh's Ralph Sims poured in 27.6 per game during the 1976-77 season. Dworak joins Superior's Vince Thomas (2000-01 season), Whitewater's Mike Gutter (1979-80) and Eau Claire's Mike Ratliff (1971-72) as the only individuals to lead the league in scoring and rebounding in conference only affairs. Dworak, who hauled in 10.4 rebounds per WIAC contest this season, is Oshkosh's 13th all-time leading scorer with 1,203 career points.

Dworak becomes the third Titan in team history and first since Sims to win the conference's Player of the Year honor. Sims won the award during the 1976-77 and 77-78 seasons. John Lallensack also won the honor during the 1968-69 campaign.

Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis-Byers and Jake Wolter helped the Warhawks to a share of their second-consecutive league title and 21-7 overall record. Lewis-Byers, a three-time All-WIAC First Team selection, ranks fifth in the league in scoring (18.8) and field goal percentage (.572), sixth in free throw percentage (.809) and 10th in rebounding (6.0).

Wolter, an honorable mention pick last season, leads the league in steals (2.43), ranks third in assist/turnover ratio (2.03), 11th in three-point field goals made (1.43) and 16th in scoring (12.6).

The La Crosse backcourt duo of Eddie Hebert and Matt Schultz earned first team accolades by helping the Eagles to a surprising fourth-place league finish. Hebert, a honorable mention selection the past two seasons, ranks second in the league in three-point field goal percentage (.514), third in free throw percentage (.845), fifth in three-point field goals made (2.08) and seventh in scoring (17.4). His .514 three-point field goal percentage ranks as the fourth-highest mark in WIAC history. Hebert also posted a triple-double against Grinnell (Iowa) on December 9 with 24 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

Schultz, an honorable mention honoree last season, ranks second in the conference in three-point field goals made (2.46), fourth in assists (3.69), 11th in three-point field goal percentage (.405) and 13th in scoring (13.1).

River Falls' Kent Becker and Rich Melzer were instrumental in the Falcons' 17-9 overall ledger this season. Becker, hampered by injury throughout much of the year, ranks fourth in the league in free throw percentage (.827), fifth in steals (1.70), eighth in assists (3.48) and 11th in scoring (14.1). He was an All-WIAC First Team selection last season after earning honorable mention honors in 1999-2000.

Melzer, an honorable mention pick last season, ranks second in conference in scoring (21.6), third in rebounding (7.8) and ninth in field goal percentage (.512). He also leads the league in blocked shots (2.12) and posted the second-highest scoring effort in the conference this season with 39 points against Superior on January 30.

Josh Iserloth, a two-time All-WIAC First Team selection, led the Pointers to a share of their third-consecutive league crown with 20.6 points per contest, fourth-best in the WIAC. He also ranks second in blocked shots (1.52), third in three-point field goal percentage (.483), eighth in field goal percentage (.513) and 12th in rebounding (5.8). Iserloth established a school scoring record on two occasions this season. He poured in 40 points against River Falls on January 9 and matched that total against Whitewater on January 23. Against the Falcons, he was eight-for-eight from three-point range, setting a school record for three-pointers made and three-point percentage.

Platteville's Tyler Selk earned first team honors for the second consecutive season. He ranks second in the league in rebounding (7.8), and sixth in scoring (17.5) and field goal percentage (.535). Selk has 1,168 career points, ranking him 16th on the Pioneer charts.

Stout's Steve Krueger was named to the league's first team for the first time in his career. Krueger ranks fourth in the WIAC in field goal percentage (.589), fifth in rebounding (7.2) and eighth in scoring (16.4). He also posted eight double-doubles (points-rebounds) in 25 games this season.

Named to the Honorable Mention squad were: Eau Claire's Jason Larson, Oshkosh's Nate Miller and Nick Scherer, River Falls' Edmund Johnson, Stevens Point's Jason Kalsow, Superior's Brandon Vesel and Whitewater's Londen Donlow.

La Crosse head coach Stu Engen was named the 2001-02 Coach of the Year by the league coaches. Engen guided the Eagles to a 17-9 overall record this season and 10-6 mark in conference play. The 17 wins were the most since 1987-88 and the 10 league wins were the most since the 1982-83 season. Additionally, the fourth-place finish for the Eagles was the best since the 1988-89 campaign when they also finished fourth in the league.

2001-02 All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team

First Team
Name, School, Position, Height, Year, Hometown (High School)
Tim Dworak, Oshkosh, Forward, 6-7, Junior, Kewaunee
Josh Iserloth, Stevens Point, Forward, 6-8, Junior, Plymouth
Rich Melzer, River Falls, Forward, 6-8, Sophomore, Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls)
Aubrey Lewis-Byers, Whitewater, Forward, 6-3, Junior, Janesville (Craig)
Eddie Hebert, La Crosse, Guard, 6-3, Senior, Barrington, Ill. (Fremd)
Tyler Selk, Platteville, Forward, 6-5, Junior, Randolph
Steve Krueger, Stout, Center, 6-9, Senior, Three Lakes
Matt Schultz, La Crosse, Guard, 6-1, Senior, Cuba City
Kent Becker, River Falls, Guard, 5-11, Senior, Stone Lake (Hayward)
Jake Wolter, Whitewater, Guard, 5-10, Senior, Wauwatosa (East)

Honorable Mention
Brandon Vesel, Superior, Guard, 6-1, Senior, Duluth, Minn. (Central)
Nick Scherer, Oshkosh, Guard, 6-2, Junior, Manitowoc
Londen Donlow, Whitewater, Forward, 6-4, Sophomore, Whitefish Bay (Dominican)
Nate Miller, Oshkosh, Guard, 5-11, Junior, Hudson
Jason Kalsow, Stevens Point, Forward, 6-7, Freshman, Huntley, Ill.
Jason Larson, Eau Claire, Guard, 6-1, Junior, Sugar Land, Tex. (Stephen F. Austin)
Edmund Johnson, River Falls, Forward, 6-5, Senior, Indianola, Iowa

Player of the Year: Tim Dworak of Oshkosh

Max Sparger Co-Scholar-Athletes: Kent Becker of River Falls and Eddie Hebert of La Crosse

Coach of the Year: Stu Engen of La Crosse

Back to the WIAC home page