2003-04 WIAC Men's Basketball Headlines

UW-River Falls' Melzer Named DIII News Player of the Year; UW-Stevens Point's Bennett Named Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Thursday, April 1, 2004

Beaverton, Ore.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls senior center Rich Melzer has been named the 2004 DIII News Player of the Year and UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett the Molten USA/DIII News Coach of the Year.

Melzer, a native of Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls H.S.), is a two-time WIAC Player of the Year and led the Falcons to their first regular-season conference championship since 1950 and the most wins (20) for the program since that same season. In 2004, he led the league with 26.9 points per game and ranked second with 8.5 rebounds and a 55.8 field goal percentage. Melzer scored in double figures in 26 of 27 games, including 13 contests with 30 or more points and a season-high 37 points against Puget Sound (Wash.).

Melzer holds the league's all-time record with 935 career field goals made, while ranking second on the conference's and school's all-time scoring list with 2,363 career points. He also is second on the conference's all-time chart with 1,736 field goals attempted and 186 blocked shots, third with 670 career free throw attempts and fourth with 482 free throws made.

"Rich had a great season and showed that he is one of the top Division III players in the country," said DIII News Editor Gary Rubin. "He was the MVP in one of the top leagues in the nation. There were many top candidates for this honor, but Rich is very deserving."

UW-Stevens Point head coach Jack Bennett was named the 2004 Molten USA/DIII News Coach of the Year after leading the Pointers to the 2004 NCAA Division III national championship.

UW-Stevens Point compiled a school-record 29 wins this season and also claimed the second WIAC Tournament title in school history. Bennett has registered a 171-53 overall record (.763 winning percentage) and a 88-40 conference mark (.688) in his eight seasons at UW-Stevens Point with four regular season championships. He ranks third on the school's all-time wins list, trailing Hale Quandt's 178 victories from 1948-62 and Dick Bennett's 173 victories from 1976-85.

"Jack did an outstanding job with his squad this year," said DIII News Editor Gary Rubin. "Winning a national title is an incredible accomplishment. He is most deserving of this award."

Molten USA is the official basketball of the Olympic Games and official sponsor of the DIII News Coach of the Year award.

DIII News covers Division III men's basketball and celebrated its 11th year of publishing this past season.

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UW-River Falls' Melzer Named NABC National Player of the Year, UW-Stevens Point's Kalsow Earns All-America Honors

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Rich Melzer has been named the 2004 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Player of the Year, while UW-Stevens Point's Jason Kalsow was named to the All-America Second Team.

Melzer, a senior forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls H.S.), becomes the second player in WIAC history to win the NABC national award after UW-Platteville's Merrill Brunson claimed the honor in 1999.
Melzer earned NABC All-America First Team honors for the second straight season and was also named to the D3hoops.com All-America First Team after receiving second team status a year ago.

Melzer, the two-time WIAC Player of the Year, led the Falcons to their first regular-season conference championship since 1950 and the most wins (20) for the program since that same season. In 2004, he led the league with 26.9 points per game and ranked second with 8.5 rebounds and a 55.8 field goal percentage. Melzer scored in double figures in 26 of 27 games, including 13 contests with 30 or more points and a season-high 37 points against Puget Sound (Wash.).

Melzer holds the league's all-time record with 935 career field goals made, while ranking second on the conference's and school's all-time scoring list with 2,363 career points. He also is second on the conference's all-time chart with 1,736 field goals attempted and 186 blocked shots, third with 670 career free throw attempts and fourth with 482 free throws made.

Kalsow, a junior forward from Huntley, Ill., hit the game-winning shot to lift UW-Stevens Point to the 2004 NCAA Division III national title. He led UW-Stevens Point with 17.9 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per contest and 3.62 assists per game. Kalsow scored in double figures in every game this season and registered nine double-doubles (points-rebounds) with a career-high 28 points against Kendall (Ill.). He has started all 87 games in his three-year career and ranks 13th on the school's all-time list with 1,248 career points.

Kalsow is the first Pointer since Brant Bailey in 2000 to receive All-America honors from the NABC. Bailey was a first team selection.

Joining Melzer on the NABC All-America Team were Scott Hauben of Rochester (NY), Dennis Stanton of Ursinus (Pa.), Justin Call of Emory & Henry (Ga.), Ben Coffin of Williams (Mass.), Keelan Amelianovich of Illinois Wesleyan, Jim Conrad of Ohio Northern and Samar Battle of New Jersey City.

Jeff Monroe of Hampden-Sydney (Va.), Michael Crotty of Williams (Mass.), Ben Van Thorre of Macalester (Minn.) and Joel Kolmodin of Wheaton (Ill.) were also recognized on the D3hoops.com squad.

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Listen To The Game-Winning Shot (Audio provided by D3hoops.com)

Salem, Va.--An amazing postseason run was capped by an even more incredible ending as Jason Kalsow hit a fallaway jumper before the buzzer to give the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team an 84-82 victory over Williams for its first-ever NCAA Division III Championship on Saturday in Salem, Va.

UW-Stevens Point becomes the third Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference school to win a NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship. The Pointers join UW-Platteville (1999, 1998, 1995, 1991) and UW-Whitewater (1989, 1984).

The two heavyweights traded blows throughout the game, but UW-Stevens Point stopped the Ephs as Tucker Kain missed a three-pointer and Eric Maus ripped down the rebound. The Pointers didn't call timeout as Tamaris Relerford pushed the ball upcourt. Relerford passed to Maus, who passed to Kalsow with two seconds left before his game-winning shot went through the net with 0.2 seconds remaining.

The victory came exactly 20 years after UW-Stevens Point's only previous national championship game appearance when it lost to Fort Hays State (Kan.) 48-46 in overtime on March 20, 1984. The Pointers finished with a school record for victories with a 29-5 record and were making their fourth NCAA tournament appearance, having lost to the eventual national runner-up the previous three times. Williams won a dramatic national title game last year and finished its season 30-2 overall.

"It's just too hard to put into words how it feels to share it with players like this and your son," said Pointers' coach Jack Bennett, whose son Nick was the tournament's Most Valuable Player. "It doesn't get any better than this."

"I thought our guys played so hard and with so much courage and toughness," said Williams coach Dave Paulsen. "This was like a prize fight the way it went back and forth."

Williams led 28-25 in the first half before Kalsow scored seven straight points to start a 13-2 run for a 38-30 lead. Ephs' guard Michael Crotty hit a three-pointer with 2:16 left and neither team scored the remainder of the half as the Pointers led 38-33 at halftime.

UW-Stevens Point pushed the lead to 53-42 with 16:27 left on a fastbreak layup by Kalsow. However, Williams made its first seven shots and nine of its first 11 attempts of the second half, to cut the lead to 57-55 with 12:51 left. With the game tied at 65-65 with 8:35 left, Kain hit one of his six three-pointers to give the Ephs a three-point lead.

Williams maintained the lead and another Kain three-pointer with 7:58 left put the Ephs ahead 71-66, but Nick Bennett started heating up for the Pointers and hit several key shots down the stretch. One of Bennett's three-pointers with 4:24 left pulled the Pointers within 77-75. After Williams pushed the lead to four points, Kalsow missed a shot, but got the rebound and scored a three-point play to cut the lead to 79-78 with 3:10 left.

Bennett, who finished with 30 points in the title game and had 153 points in six tournament games, hit another big shot to put the Pointers ahead 80-79 with 2:38 left. Williams responded with a three-pointer from Chuck Abba with 1:39 left for an 82-80 advantage.

Kalsow scored a layup for the Pointers to tie the game with 1:17 left and Kain missed a shot on the other end that Kalsow rebounded, but he landed out of bounds to give the ball back to Williams. The Ephs ran the shot clock down and Kain missed before the Pointers pushed the ball up for Kalsow's game-winner.

"Coach doesn't call a timeout and that just shows the faith he has in us," Kalsow said. "I didn't catch it quite as I wanted. It was a little low. I saw him in my face and knew I had to get it high, so I put it up and it went in."

Kalsow totaled 24 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Kain had 23 points and Abba had 21 points. Crotty had 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for the Ephs.

For the Pointers, it was the end of a dramatic run with three straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament wins and six NCAA tournament victories. The last five wins were all on the road, including a halftime deficit comeback against Gustavus Adolphus and a one-point overtime thriller against Lawrence.

"I'm proud of all the people who ever played for me or this program," Bennett said. "But I'm especially so proud of this group of guys because they're the ones that did it."

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UW-River Falls' Melzer Named NABC West District Player of the Year, Bowen Named Coach of the Year

RELEASED: Monday, March 22, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls' Rich Melzer was voted the 2004 West District Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and his head coach, Rick Bowen, was voted the district Coach of the Year by the organization for their efforts this season.

The NABC also announced the all-district squad and joining Melzer on the first team was UW-Stevens Point's Jason Kalsow. UW-Platteville's Brad Reitzner and UW-Whitewater's Matt Jones were second team selections.

Melzer, a senior forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls H.S.), was voted the district player of the year for the second straight season. He was also named the WIAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the league with 26.9 points per game and ranking second with 8.5 rebounds and a 55.8 field goal percentage. He scored in double figures in 26 of 27 games, including 13 contests with 30 or more points and a season-high 37 points against Puget Sound (Wash.). Melzer holds the league's all-time record with 935 career field goals made, while ranking second on the conference's and school's all-time scoring list with 2,363 career points.

Kalsow, a junior forward from Huntley, Ill., led UW-Stevens Point with 17.9 points per contest and 8.0 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in every game this season and registered nine double-doubles (points-rebounds) with a career-high 28 points against Kendall (Ill.). Kalsow has started all 87 games in his three-year career and ranks 13th on the school's all-time list with 1,248 career points.

Reitzner, a junior guard from Stoughton, Wis., averaged 17.8 points per game, while leading the Pioneers to a 16-12 record, a five-game improvement from the previous season. He made 66 three-point baskets this year, second in school history, and his 162-193 (83.9 percent) proficiency from the free-throw line helped the team set a school record for free-throw accuracy at 78.2 percent. Reitzner also led the team in scoring in 19 contests and his 31 points against UW-Superior on February 14 established a career high.

Jones, a senior guard from Milwaukee, Wis. (Bay View H.S.), led UW-Whitewater in scoring with 16.1 points per game and steals with 1.7 steals per contest. He shot a team-best 78.6 percent from the free-throw line and led the squad in scoring in 16 games this season.

UW-River Falls head coach Rick Bowen was named the district coach of the year after guiding the Falcons to their first conference championship since 1950 and their first 20-win campaign since that same season when the team registered a 26-5 mark. Bowen has compiled a 254-213 record in 18 seasons at UW-River Falls. He becomes the second straight league coach to win the district honor after UW-Stevens Point's Jack Bennett claimed the award a year ago.

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Five Named To D3hoops.com All-West Region Men's Basketball Team

RELEASED: Monday, March 22, 2004

Madison, Wis.--Five Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball players have been named to the 2004 D3hoops.com All-West Region Team. UW-River Falls' Rich Melzer was named to the first team, while UW-Platteville's Brad Reitzner and UW-Stevens Point's Jason Kalsow were second team picks. UW-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz and UW-Stevens Point's Nick Bennett were third team selections.

Melzer, a senior forward from Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls H.S.), claimed first team honors for the second straight year. He was named the WIAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the league with 26.9 points per game and ranking second with 8.5 rebounds and a 55.8 field goal percentage. He scored in double figures in 26 of 27 games, including 13 contests with 30 or more points and a season-high 37 points against Puget Sound (Wash.). Melzer holds the league's all-time record with 935 career field goals made, while ranking second on the conference's and school's all-time scoring list with 2,363 career points.

Reitzner, a junior guard from Stoughton, Wis., averaged 17.8 points per game, while leading the Pioneers to a 16-12 record, a five-game improvement from the previous season. He made 66 three-point baskets this year, second in school history, and his 162-193 (83.9 percent) proficiency from the free-throw line helped the team set a school record for free-throw accuracy at 78.2 percent. Reitzner also led the team in scoring in 19 contests and his 31 points against UW-Superior on February 14 established a career high.

Kalsow, a junior forward from Huntley, Ill., led UW-Stevens Point with 17.9 points per contest and 8.0 rebounds per game. He scored in double figures in every game this season and registered nine double-doubles (points-rebounds) with a career-high 28 points against Kendall (Ill.). Kalsow has started all 87 games in his three-year career and ranks 13th on the school's all-time list with 1,248 career points.

Taggatz, a senior guard from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), earned third team honors for the second straight season. He led the Eagles in scoring with 15.9 points per game and set a WIAC single-season record with a 93.1 free throw percentage (67-of-72). Taggatz finished fifth on UW-La Crosse's all-time list with 1,338 career points and set school record for career three-point field goals made (206) and attempted (481).

Bennett, a junior forward from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), ranked second on the team in scoring with 17.2 points per game and led the squad with a 86.7 free throw percentage (130-of-150). He set a school single-season record with 83 three-pointers made. Bennett made a three-pointer in 32 of the team's 34 games this year and the squad went 23-0 in games that he scored 14 or more points.

The D3hoops.com All-West Region Team was voted on by sports information directors throughout the region.

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Tacoma, Wash.--Maybe this was just the way it was supposed to happen for the UW-Stevens Point men's basketball team to reach its first NCAA Division III Final Four.

After having its two previous Elite Eight appearances end on heartbreaking buzzer beaters, this time the opponent's last-second shot bounced off the rim as the Pointers defeated Lawrence 82-81 in an overtime thriller in Tacoma, Wash. to advance to Salem, Va. for the final four.

Junior Eric Maus hit the go-ahead basket for the Pointers with a baseline jumper with five seconds left and the Vikings, with no timeouts left, raced up the court and Jason Hollinbeck's open look bounced off as the Pointers hung on for the dramatic win.

UW-Stevens Point will play John Carroll (Ohio) in the semifinals on Friday at 7 p.m. central time. New England Small College Athletic Conference rivals Williams (Mass.) and Amherst (Mass.) meet in the other semifinal at 5 p.m. The Pointers had fell one game short in 2000 when UW-Eau Claire hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer and in 1997 when Nebraska Wesleyan hit a buzzer-beater to advance.

Saturday's game was filled with dramatic moments as UW-Stevens Point's Nick Bennett drained a long three-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 72-72 after Lawrence's Dan Evans had hit a fallaway jumper with the shot clock running out for a three-point lead with 17 seconds left. The Vikings turned the ball over with one second left, but UW-Stevens Point's long shot missed to send the game to overtime.

In the extra period, the teams traded one-point leads in the final two minutes as Bennett hit a shot to put the Pointers ahead 78-77 with 1:06 left. Chris Braier put the Vikings back ahead with two free throws with 46 seconds left, but Jason Kalsow hit a jumper to give UW-Stevens Point an 80-79 lead with 31 seconds left. Braier followed on the other end with a layup to put Lawrence in front 81-80 with 20 seconds remaining before Maus' game-winner with five seconds left.

Hollinbeck's miss at the buzzer was one of only two missed shots all night for the junior, who finished six-for-eight from three-point range for 18 points. The Vikings were red-hot from behind the arc all night, hitting 15 of 23 attempts, including eight of 10 in the first half while building a 10-point first half lead.

UW-Stevens Point's Tamaris Relerford cut the lead to 40-39 with a half-court shot at the halftime buzzer, marking the second straight day the Pointers went into the locker room following a half-court shot after Jon Krull did it on Friday.

The biggest lead of the entire second half was four points as Lawrence led 59-55 with 10:29 left before two free throws by Bennett that, incidentally, made him the 25th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. The free throws sparked an 8-0 Pointer run to put them ahead 63-59 with 6:27 left before Evans hit a three-pointer for Lawrence to pull the Vikings back within one.

Lawrence went ahead 68-65 with 3:05 left on another three-pointer by Evans, but the Pointers got a steal and layup from Jon Krull to pull within one. Similar to the end of overtime, neither team missed in the final minute of regulation as Braier gave Lawrence a three-point lead with 1:04 left and Bennett hit a layup with 47 seconds left to cut it to 70-69 before Evans' shot with 17 seconds left and Bennett's game-tying three-pointer.

Bennett scored a game-high 25 points and totaled 62 points in the sectional tournament after a career-high 37 points on Friday. Kalsow added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Pointers, while Chris MacGillis had 22 points for Lawrence and Evans had 10 points, all in the second half.

It was the 34th meeting between the two schools that are 70 miles apart and first outside the state of Wisconsin. UW-Stevens Point has now beaten the Vikings 13 straight times with Lawrence's last win coming in 1954.

The Pointers also qualified for the 1983-84 NAIA national championship game and are now 9-3 all-time in NCAA tournament games.

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UW-River Falls' Melzer Headed To Portsmouth

RELEASED: Thursday, March 11, 2004

River Falls, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls senior forward Rich Melzer has accepted an invitation to play in the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

The four-day tournament, scheduled for April 7-10 in Portsmouth, Va., features 64 college seniors hoping to move on to the National Basketball Association.

Melzer recently was named the WIAC Player of the year for the second straight season. He is only the sixth player in conference history to capture the honor in successive seasons.

Melzer helped UW-River Falls to their first conference championship since 1950 and a 20-7 overall record this year. He led the WIAC in scoring (26.9 points), while finishing second in rebounding (8.5) and field goal percentage (.558) and fourth in blocked shots (1.63). He scored 30 or more points 13 times this season and ranks second on the conference's all-time scoring list with 2,363 points.

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UW-Stevens Point To Host NCAA Women's Basketball Sectional; UW-Stevens Point Men Travel To Tacoma, Wash.

RELEASED: Monday, March 8, 2004 (Written By: Jim Strick, UWSP Sports Information)

Madison, Wis.--For the second time in three years, UW-Stevens Point will host an NCAA Division III women's basketball sectional tournament. Also this weekend the Pointer men's basketball team will travel to Tacoma, Wash. in the round of 16.

The Pointer women's team hosted the sectional in 2002 and will do so again this year, but this time in Quandt Fieldhouse. UW-Stevens Point (26-3) will face a rematch from the 2002 second round against Washington University of St. Louis (22-4) on Friday. Hardin-Simmons University (26-2) of Abilene, Texas and Eastern Mennonite University (25-3) of Harrisonburg, Va. will meet in the first game on Friday and the semifinal winners will square off on Saturday night for a berth in the final four in Virginia Beach, Va. Game times for the sectional will be announced Monday.

The Pointer men's team is currently 25-5 overall and will take on host University of Puget Sound (24-2) on Friday night at 10 p.m. Central time. Lawrence University (23-4) of Appleton will meet Sul Ross State University (21-8) of Alpine, Texas in the first game with the winners meeting on Saturday for a trip to the final four in Salem, Va.

It marks the first time UW-Stevens Point has had the men's and women's teams qualify for the sectional in the same year. Both teams are making their third sectional appearance. The women have hosted all three times, while the men have played on the road each time. Puget Sound and Rochester (N.Y.) are the only other Division III schools with the men and women both playing in sectionals this weekend.

Women's NCAA Division III Sectional Tournament
At Quandt Fieldhouse, Stevens Point
Friday's Games - Times TBA
Hardin-Simmons, Texas (26-2) vs. Eastern Mennonite, Va. (25-3)
UW-Stevens Point (26-3) vs. Washington, Mo. (22-4)

Saturday's Game
Sectional Championship Game

Men's NCAA Division III Sectional Tournament
At Memorial Fieldhouse, Tacoma, Wash.
Friday's Games - Central Time
Lawrence, Wis. (23-4) vs. Sul Ross State, Texas (21-8), 8 p.m.
UW-Stevens Point (25-5) vs. Puget Sound, Wash. (24-2), 10 p.m.

Saturday's Game
Sectional Championship Game, time TBA

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UW-River Falls' Melzer Repeats as WIAC Player of the Year

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls senior forward Rich Melzer was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year for the second straight season to headline the 10 individuals voted to the 2003-04 All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team by the league coaches.

Melzer becomes the sixth player in conference history to earn back-to-back player of the year awards. He joins UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak (2002-03), 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 leads the league in scoring (26.9), while ranking second in rebounding (8.5) and field goal percentage (.558) and fourth in blocked shots (1.63). He led the Falcons in scoring in 27 of 29 games this season, including 13 contests with 30 or more points and a season-high 37 points against Puget Sound (Wash.). Melzer holds the league's all-time record with 935 field goals made, while ranking second on the conference's and school's all-time scoring list with 2,363 points.

Melzer earned All-WIAC first team honors for the third straight season after capturing honorable mention laurels during his freshman campaign. He is the first UW-River Falls player to earn first team honors in three consecutive seasons since Dean Cook (1989-91).

UW-Stevens Point claimed the WIAC Tournament title and was the only team to have more than one player on the first team. Jason Kalsow claimed his second straight All-WIAC first team honor after earning honorable mention status in 2002. He ranks second in the league in scoring (17.9), third in rebounding (7.6) and assists (3.64), fourth in field goal percentage (.538) and assist/turnover ratio (1.76) and fifth in blocked shots (1.50). Kalsow has led the Pointers in scoring in 16 games this season, while topping the team in rebounding in 21 contests.

The Pointers' Nick Bennett leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.26), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.852), fourth in three-point field goals made (2.21), fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.428), sixth in field goal percentage (.482), seventh in scoring (15.4) and eighth in assists (2.75). He has made at least one three-pointer in 26 of the team's 28 games this year.

UW-Eau Claire's Casey Drake ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (17.6), sixth in free throw percentage (.822) and ninth in field goal percentage (.442). He led the Blugolds in scoring in 16 of 26 games, including a career-high 35 points against UW-Stevens Point on February 14.

UW-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz earned his second consecutive All-WIAC first team recognition after establishing a league single-season record for free throw percentage (.931). He also ranks second in the WIAC in three-point field goals made (2.44), third in three-point field goal percentage (.459), sixth in scoring (15.9), ninth in assists (2.40), steals (1.24) and assist/turnover ratio (1.13) and 10th in field goal percentage (.440). Taggatz finished his career with 1,338 points to rank fifth on UW-La Crosse's all-time list and topped the school's all-time chart with 206 three-pointers made and 481 three-pointers attempted.

UW-Oshkosh's Jim Capelle is the second freshman since the 1975 season to earn All-WIAC first team honors, joining UW-Whitewater's Aubrey Lewis Byers who claimed all-league honors in 2000. Capelle is also the first freshman in Titan history to capture first team honors. He ranks third in the conference in free throw percentage (.850), ninth in rebounding (5.6) and three-point field goal percentage (.396) and 10th in scoring (13.8).

UW-Platteville's Brad Reitzner helped the Pioneers to their most wins since the 1999-2000 campaign. He ranks third in the WIAC in scoring (17.8) and three-point field goals made (2.36), fourth in free throw percentage (.839) and 10th in assists (2.32). Reitzner also tied the school record with seven three-pointers made in a game on two occasions this year.

UW-Stout's Jeff Vandenberghe drilled a league-leading and school-record 76 three-pointers this season, while ranking third in steals (1.72), seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.409), eighth in scoring (15.3), ninth in free throw percentage (.795) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.00). He made a school-record nine three-pointers against Elmhurst (Ill.) this year and ranks second on UW-Stout's all-time list with 168 career three-pointers.

UW-Superior's Cody Kastern earned All-WIAC first team accolades for the second straight season after leading the Yellowjackets to a seven-game improvement from a year ago. He leads the conference in rebounding (8.7), while placing sixth in blocked shots (.85), seventh in steals (1.27), eighth in field goal percentage (.477) and ninth in scoring (15.1). Kastern finished his career sixth on the school's all-time list with 1,262 points and second with 688 rebounds.

UW-Whitewater's Matt Jones helped the Warhawks to their third straight 20-win season. He ranks third in the league in steals (1.72), fifth in scoring (16.1), seventh in field goal percentage (.479) and three-point field goals made (1.80), eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.405) and 10th in free throw percentage (.786). Jones led the Warhawks in scoring in 16 of 26 contests this year.

Named to the league's honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Dan Archambault, UW-Platteville's Brandon Temperly, UW-River Falls' Chris Becker, Billy Halter and Micah Helfrey and UW-Whitewater's Angelo Griffin and Melvin Williams.

UW-River Falls head coach Rick Bowen was voted the conference coach of the year by the league coaches. He guided the Falcons to their first conference championship since 1950 and their first 20-win campaign since that same season when the team compiled a 26-5 mark. Bowen has compiled a 254-213 record in 18 seasons at UW-River Falls.

2003-04 All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Rich Melzer, UW-River Falls, Senior, Forward, 6-8, Minneapolis, Minn. (River Falls)
Jason Kalsow, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, 6-7, Huntley, Ill.
Brad Reitzner, UW-Platteville, Junior, Guard, 6-1, Stoughton
Matt Jones, UW-Whitewater, Senior, Guard, 6-2, Milwaukee (Bay View)
Cody Kastern, UW-Superior, Senior, Forward, 6-7, Superior (Senior)
Casey Taggatz, UW-La Crosse, Senior, Guard, 5-9, Stevens Point (SPASH)
Nick Bennett, UW-Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, 6-5, Stevens Point (SPASH)
Casey Drake, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 6-3, Rhinelander
Jeff Vandenberghe, UW-Stout, Senior, Guard, 6-3, Coon Rapids, Minn.
Jim Capelle, UW-Oshkosh, Freshman, Forward, 6-6, Wisconsin Dells

Honorable Mention
Angelo Griffin, UW-Whitewater, Junior, Center, 6-7, Milwaukee (Bay View)
Micah Helfrey, UW-River Falls, Senior, Guard, 5-10, Mesa, Ariz.
Melvin Williams, UW-Whitewater, Sophomore, Guard, 6-3, Milwaukee (Riverside)
Billy Halter, UW-River Falls, Senior, Forward, 6-8, Apple Valley, Minn.
Chris Becker, UW-River Falls, Senior, Guard, 6-1, Stone Lake (Hayward)
Brandon Temperly, UW-Platteville, Junior, Forward, 6-4, Hazel Green (Southwestern)
Dan Archambault, UW-Eau Claire, Junior, Guard, 6-2, Oshkosh (West)

Player of the Year: Rich Melzer of UW-River Falls
Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete: Casey Taggatz of UW-La Crosse
Coach of the Year: Rick Bowen of UW-River Falls

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UW-La Crosse's Taggatz Named Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's Casey Taggatz has been named the 2004 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete, it was announced recently by WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

Taggatz, a senior from Stevens Point, Wis. (SPASH), is majoring in finance and maintains a 3.50 grade point average. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Men's Basketball second team last season and is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll. Taggatz has been recognized on UW-La Crosse's Dean's List four semesters and has also received multiple academic scholarships from his institution.

Taggatz, a team captain for the last three seasons, has captured All-WIAC first team honors the past two years. He established a league single-season record with a .931 free throw percentage this season and finished his career with 1,338 points to rank fifth on UW-La Crosse's all-time list. Taggatz topped the school's all-time chart with 206 three-pointers made and 481 three-pointers attempted. He earned D3hoops.com All-Region third team honors and was named the team's Most Valuable Player a year ago.

Taggatz is a member of Financial Management Association and becomes the second UW-La Crosse men's basketball player to win the league's scholar-award, joining Eddie Hebert who claimed the honor in 2002.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is sponsored by Culver's. In order to be nominated for the scholar-athlete award, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.25 grade point average, be in their last year of competition, or on schedule to graduate this academic year, and have competed for a minimum of two years.

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UW-Stevens Point To Host NCAA Men's Basketball First Round Contest

RELEASED: Sunday, February 29, 2004

Madison, Wis.--The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men's basketball team will participate in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second straight season.

UW-Stevens Point will host Benedictine College (Ill.) in a first round game on March 4. The winner of the UW-Stevens Point/Benedictine matchup will travel to St. Peter, Minn. to face Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) in a second round contest on March 6.

UW-Stevens Point (23-5), which is making its third national tournament appearance in the last four seasons, received an automatic bid into the 48-team national field by winning the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) tournament for the second time in school history.

Benedictine (20-7) claimed the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference tournament to earn the league's automatic bid, while Gustavus Adolphus (22-5) secured the automatic bid from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference by winning the league tournament.

UW-Stevens Point has never faced Benedictine (Ill.) and was upended by Gustavus Adolphus in the second round of last year's NCAA Division III Tournament in their only previous meeting.

UW-Stevens Point is 5-3 all-time in NCAA Division III Tournament games.

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Madison, Wis.--For the first time since the 1949-50 season, University of Wisconsin-River Falls is celebrating a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball championship.

The Falcons claimed the title outright with a 50-47 victory over UW-Platteville at Karges Center on February 21. UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater each had an opportunity to claim a share of the league crown, but the Pointers fell, 61-52, to UW-Superior, while the Warhawks were upended, 76-56, by UW-Stout.

UW-River Falls, the preseason favorite to win the conference championship, claimed the 10th title in school history (1950, 1949, 1947, 1936, 1927, 1923, 1920, 1917, 1916).

In the game against UW-Platteville, the Falcons fell behind 31-21 at the half as the Pioneers hit 52 percent of their shots. UW-Platteville scored only four points in the first 12 minutes on the second half.

Rich Melzer put UW-River Falls ahead 48-46 with a jumper at the 2:51 mark and Micah Helfrey made one of two free throws with 17 seconds remaining for a 50-47 Falcon advantage. The Pioneers had a chance to tie, but Brad Reitzner's three-point attempt missed.

Melzer led UW-River Falls with 15 points and 11 rebounds, his eighth double-double of the season. Helfrey added 13 points and five assists for the Falcons, while Hans Hoeg chipped in nine points.

Reitzner led the Pioneers with 23 points, tying the school record for the second time this year with seven three-point baskets. LeVon Crawford added seven points and seven rebounds, while Brandon Temperly scored nine.

UW-River Falls committed just eight turnovers in the contest, while UW-Platteville had 16.

UW-River Falls secured the top seed for the WIAC Tournament, which begins on February 24 with the championship being held on February 28. The Falcons will host eighth-seeded UW-Eau Claire. The tournament winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

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UW-River Falls' Melzer Named DIII News Preseason Player of the Year

RELEASED: Wednesday, October 15, 2003

River Falls, Wis.--UW-River Falls basketball player Rich Melzer (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., River Falls HS) has been named the DIII News Preseason Player of the Year.

"Rich showed that he is one of the top Division III players this season," said DIIIN Editor Gary Rubin. "He can score and be a force on the defensive end of the court. There were many top candidates for this honor, but Rich is very deserving." The publication announced its 2003-04 All-American teams on Oct. 15.

The 6-8, 225 pound Melzer had a banner-filled season in 2002-03. He was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-America First Team, All-West Region Team and the West Region Player of the Year. Melzer earned Co-Most Valuable Player honors in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) along with UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak. He was also named to the D3Hoops.com All-America Second Team.

Melzer led the league in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots a year ago, averaging 28.1 points per game and 9.7 rebounds per contest, while blocking 54 shots. The 28.1 points per game average ranked second in the NCAA Division III and his 54-point performance against UW-La Crosse was the most points scored in a single game in NCAA Division III in 2003. He finished the 2003 campaign with 15 double-doubles (points-rebounds) and has scored in double figures in 71 games during his career, including 53 straight.

In 16 WIAC contests last year, Melzer compiled a league-record 464 points and 29.0 points per contest. His 731 points during the season was third most in Falcon history and his 251 rebounds was sixth in a single season.

Melzer was named the conference's Player of the Week four times during the season, more than any other player in the league.

Melzer is currently fifth in scoring in Falcon history with 1,636 points. Nate DeLong (1946-50) is the all-time UW-River Falls leader with 2,592 points. Melzer has 591 career rebounds and ranks fifth all-time in that category. Dan McGinty (1975-79) is the Falcons all-time career leader with 1,097.

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Milwaukee, Wis.--Milwaukee native, and former UW-Stevens Point basketball player, Terry Porter has signed a four-year contract to become head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, General Manager Larry Harris announced Wednesday. He is the eighth head coach in franchise history.

Porter, 40, spent the 2002-03 season as an assistant coach with the Sacramento Kings, his first season in coaching after a 17-year NBA playing career with Portland, Minnesota, Miami and San Antonio.

“We couldn’t be more excited to introduce Terry Porter as our head coach,” Harris said. “During the interview process, Terry’s knowledge of the game, his positive energy and his ability to communicate made it very evident that he was the right choice to lead this young team. He is a proven winner in the NBA who played the game with dignity, confidence and intensity, skills that will translate directly to the improvement of our team.”

In 1,274 games as an NBA player, the two-time All-Star (1991, 1993) averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 assists and 1.24 steals per game in a stellar career during which his teams compiled a remarkable record of 815-547 (.598) and made the playoffs 16 times.

“This is a day that I’ve dreamed about and worked very hard for,” Porter said, “For it to happen here in Milwaukee makes it that much more special. I am very grateful to Senator Kohl and Larry Harris for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge of coaching a team that has a lot of young, talented players.”

Porter began his NBA career in Portland under the legendary Jack Ramsay, after the Blazers selected him with the 24th overall pick in the 1985 Draft. During a stellar playing career that included two trips to the NBA Finals (1990, 1992) and 15,586 career points, Porter learned from an impressive list of coaches that includes Ramsay, Rick Adelman, Flip Saunders, Pat Riley and Gregg Popovich.

“Terry will have a tremendous impact on this franchise and on this community in so many ways,” President Herb Kohl said. “For the people of Wisconsin, it’s a thrilling opportunity to see one of our own achieve at the highest level as he has done for so many years. His leadership, his work ethic and his desire to succeed will help our young players excel and ensure that we remain successful.”

Porter is no stranger to basketball fans in Wisconsin, having played prep basketball at Milwaukee’s South Division High School and collegiately at UW-Stevens Point under Dick Bennett.

At UW-Stevens Point, he averaged 16.7 points, 4.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 32.9 minutes, while shooting 60.1 percent from the field over his final three years after averaging just 2.8 points as a freshman. In 1984, he helped lead the Pointers to a runner-up finish at the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City, Mo.

He holds a degree in Communications from UW-Stevens Point and was honored with a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999. Porter was inducted in the UW-Stevens Point Hall of Fame in 1992. His number '30' has been retired by the Pointers.

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