2005-06 WIAC Men's Basketball Headlines

2005-06 WIAC Men's Basketball Headlines

WIAC Led NCAA Division III in Women's Basketball Attendance in 2005-06; Men Finished Third

RELEASED: Friday, August 11, 2006

Madison, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) led the NCAA Division III in women's basketball attendance during the 2005-06 season, while finishing third in the national standings in men's basketball attendance, according to figures recently distributed by the NCAA.

The nine league schools had 50, 420 spectators attend 105 women's games last season for an average of 480 per contest. UW-Stout and UW-Eau Claire finished second and seventh, respectively in the individual standings. The Blue Devils had 15,242 persons attend 13 home games, while the Blugolds registered 10,064 individuals in 12 home dates.

The WIAC also led the NCAA Division III in women's basketball attendance during the 2002-03 season.

On the men's side, the conference placed third nationally after accumulating 89,604 spectators in 112 games for an average of 800 per contest. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference placed first after drawing 107,400 individuals in 87 games.

UW-Stevens Point finished seventh in the men's race with an audience of 15,154 in 11 home contests.

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Two Secure NABC All-America Honors

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Two Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball players have been named to the 2006 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) NCAA Division III All-America Team. UW-Whitewater's Jeremy Manchester was a second team selection and UW-La Crosse's Joe Werner was a third team pick.

Manchester, a senior guard from Racine, Wis. (St. Catherine's H.S.), was named the WIAC Player of the Year this season after ranking fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.427), seventh in assists (3.10), eighth in steals (1.31) and 10th in free throw percentage (.755). He places fourth in UW-Whitewater's record book with 130 career steals, fifth with 324 career assists and sixth in 109 career games played.

Manchester becomes the fourth Warhawk in school history to claim All-America honors from the NABC and first since James Stewart was a honorable mention pick in 1998.

Werner, a junior forward from Chippewa Falls, Wis. (McDonell H.S.), led the league in field goal percentage (.581), while placing seventh in scoring (14.4) and ninth in blocked shots (0.56). He compiled eight double-doubles (second in the WIAC) and now has 18 in his three-year career. Werner scored in double figures in 23 of 28 games, including 13 of the last 15. He leads UW-La Crosse's all-time chart with 50 career blocked shots and is second with a .567 career field goal percentage.

Werner is the first player in school history to receive All-America honors from the NABC.

The NABC also recently announced an All-West Region team and joining Manchester and Werner on the squad were UW-Platteville's LeVon Crawford, UW-Stout's Jacob Nonemacher and UW-Whitewater's Melvin Williams.

Crawford, a senior guard from Chicago, Ill. (Thornwood H.S.), placed second in the WIAC in field goal percentage (.577), fifth in scoring (15.0), free throw percentage (.836) and steals (1.48) and ninth in rebounding (5.6). He led the Pioneers in scoring 10 times, including a career-high 26-point effort against Concordia-Austin (Texas) on December 31. Coming into the year, he had not scored 20 points in a game, but this season reached that plateau seven times.

Nonemacher, a junior center from Kalispell, Mont. (Flathead H.S.), ranked second in the conference in blocked shots (3.72) and third in rebounding (7.8) and field goal percentage (.576). His 108 blocked shots this year established a conference single season record. In UW-Stout's final 17 games, Nonemacher averaged 14.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, shot .609 (95-136) and averaged 3.6 blocked shots.

Williams, a senior forward from Milwaukee, Wis. (Riverside H.S.), placed ninth in the league in field goal percentage (.468) and ranked second on the team in scoring (11.3) and third in rebounds (3.9). He led the squad in scoring in eight contests, including a season-high 20-point performance against UW-River Falls on February 11. Williams ranks ninth in the Warhawk record book with 259 career three-point field goals attempted and 95 three-point field goals made.

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Three Named to D3hoops.com All-Region Men's Basketball Team

RELEASED: Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball players have been named to the 2006 D3hoops.com All-West Region Team. UW-Whitewater's Jeremy Manchester was a first team selection, while UW-River Falls' Hans Hoeg was a second team choice and UW-La Crosse's Joe Werner was recognized on the third team.

Manchester, a senior guard from Racine, Wis. (St. Catherine's H.S.), was named the WIAC Player of the Year after ranking fourth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.427), seventh in assists (3.10), eighth in steals (1.28) and 10th in free throw percentage (.755). He places fourth in UW-Whitewater's record book in career steals (130), fifth in career assists (324) and sixth in career games played (109).

Hoeg, a junior guard from Litchfield, Minn., led the league in minutes played (35.88), while placing second in scoring (17.3), fifth in three-point field goals made (2.32), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (.420) and free throw percentage (.828) and 10th in steals (1.28).

Werner, a junior forward from Chippewa Falls, Wis. (McDonell H.S.), led the WIAC in field goal percentage (.581), while ranking second in rebounding (8.4), seventh in scoring (14.4) and ninth in blocked shots (.54). He tops UW-La Crosse's all-time chart with 50 career blocks and places second with a 56.7 career field goal shooting percentage.

The D3hoops.com All-West Region Team is comprised of individuals from teams that represent the WIAC, Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Northwest Conference, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.

Players were nominated by the sports information directors at the various schools. A total of 596 players were nominated nationwide.

The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for 10 players in their region. SIDs voted for six frontcourt players and four backcourt players and the top vote-getters at each position were named to the All-Region team.

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Bowen Named UW-River Falls Athletic Director; Retires as Men's Basketball Coach

RELEASED: Thursday, March 9, 2006

River Falls, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls Chancellor Don Betz has named Rick Bowen as full-time athletic director for the university.

Bowen will retire as head men's basketball coach, a position he has held for the past 20 years, to devote full-time efforts to the athletic director position, which he has held since 2004.

Assistant men's basketball coach Jeff Berkhof has been named interim head coach by Betz. He has been Bowen's No. 1 assistant coach for the past nine seasons.

The changes take effect on April 1, 2006.

"The University has given me the opportunity to be the full-time athletic director at UW-River Falls," said Bowen. "After 37 years of coaching basketball, the past three in the dual role of basketball coach and athletic director, the time has come for me to make a decision. The workloads of both positions demand a full-time person. I am proud to be the full-time athletic director, and I am also pleased that Jeff Berkhof will be replacing me as interim basketball coach."

Bowen led the 2004 basketball team to the WIAC championship. It was the first championship won at UW-River Falls since the 1950 season. The Falcons, 20-7 overall, hit the 20-win mark for the first time since that championship 1950 season. He was named the WIAC basketball Coach of the Year, and his peers also selected him as the National Association of Basketball Coaches West Region Coach of the Year.

2004 was a banner year for the Falcons. The NABC named Rich Melzer as the Div. III National Player of the Year and a first team All-American for the second consecutive year. Melzer is now playing professionally for a team in New Zealand in the Australian professional league.

Bowen compiled a 265-249 (.515) career record at UW-River Falls. He is seventh all-time in victories in the WIAC.

Bowen came to UW-River Falls in 1986 following five years as a Wisconsin Badger assistant coach where he served with current Badger Coach Bo Ryan. He previously was an assistant coach at Ball State University, working under Coach Steve Yoder at both institutions.

Bowen graduated from Indiana University with an undergraduate degree in physical education in 1966. He served the Hoosiers as a student-manager under two-time National Champion Coach Branch McCracken.

Basketball runs deep in the Bowen family. Like his father, son Matthew was a basketball manager at Indiana University under Coach Bob Knight. Grandfather Vernie Bowen was an Indiana High School coach for 40 years. Nephew Christopher is currently the basketball manager at the United States Military Academy under Coach Jim Crews. Nephew Andrew is currently the basketball manager at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind.

Bowen began his career in Indiana teaching government and coaching basketball. He earned a master's degree from the University of St. Francis, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1971. He served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic from 1967 to 1969 with service in Vietnam from December 1967 to December 1968. For his actions in Vietnam he was awarded a Bronze Star.

"The basketball program has been my life and my passion over the past 20 years," said Bowen. "That passion and love remain. It is just time. Being the basketball coach at UW-River Falls has been the privilege of my life. I leave the program with a profound sense of gratitude and thanks for a University and a community that has allowed me to do what I love and supported me so well."

The Bowen File

Year W L Pct WIAC Place
2005-06 6 19 0.240 5-11, 7th
2004-05 8 17 0.320 4-12, tie 8th
2003-04 20 7 0.740 12-4, 1st
2002-03 16 10 0.615 10-6, tie 3rd
2001-02 17 9 0.653 9-7, 5th
2000-01 14 11 0.560 9-7, tie 3rd
1999-00 14 11 0.560 8-8, 4th
1998-99 9 16 0.360 4-12, tie 7th
1997-98 14 11 0.560 7-9, 6th
1996-97 11 14 0.440 5-11, tie 6th
1995-96 13 12 0.520 5-11, 6th
1994-95 14 11 0.560 7-9, tie 5th
1993-94 16 9 0.666 9-7, tie 4th
1992-93 12 12 0.500 6-10, 6th
1991-92 15 12 0.555 7-9, 5th
1990-91 16 12 0.586 10-6, tie 3rd
1989-90 14 13 0.535 8-8, tie, 4th
1988-89 12 14 0.461 5-11, 7th
1987-88 11 15 0.423 5-11, 8th
1986-87 13 14 0.481 6-10, tie 5th
Totals 265 249 0.515 141-176, .444

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FSN North to Televise WIAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships and Men's Wrestling Championships

RELEASED: Thursday, March 2, 2006

Madison, Wis.--FSN North has reached an agreement to televise the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (WIAC) men's and women's basketball championship games and the WIAC's men's wrestling championships.

2006 WIAC Championships Telecast Schedule
Championship Date Time
Women's Basketball--Saturday, March 11, 2006 (tape delay) 1:00 p.m.
Men's Basketball--Sunday, March 12, 2006 (tape delay) 5:00 p.m.
Wrestling--Saturday, April 1, 2006 (tape delay) 1:00 p.m.

All of the WIAC championships on FSN North will be produced by Madison-based When We Were Young Productions.

Mitch Henk will call the play-by-play and former University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point head basketball coach Jack Bennett will provide analysis for the men's basketball championship game. Bob Bradovich (sports anchor for WQOW in Eau Claire, WI) will handle the play-by-play duties and Lois Heeren (head women's basketball coach at UW-La Crosse) provides color for the women's basketball championship game.

The wrestling play-by-play announcer is Joe Miller and former Wisconsin All-America Kevin Black offers analysis.

"The WIAC is extremely excited about the opportunity to showcase three of its premier championships on Fox Sports Net North to a statewide television audience," said WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner. "While the WIAC enjoys great fan support and interest from our statewide media, these telecasts represent a significant step in what we anticipate will lead to many more WIAC championship and regular-season events appearing on FSN North in the future."

FSN North reaches more than 3 million homes throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North and South Dakota and telecasts nearly 2,600 hours of locally produced programming per year. The Emmy Award-winning regional sports network provides comprehensive coverage of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves and Milwaukee Bucks, MLB's Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers, the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx well as the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin athletic events.

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) is composed of nine prominent NCAA Division III Wisconsin universities, including UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, and UW-Whitewater.

-FSN NORTH-

UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater Lose in NCAA Men's Basketball Second Round

RELEASED: Saturday, March 4, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout and UW-Whitewater had their seasons come to an end in second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament.

UW-Stout dropped a 77-70 decision to Augustana College (Ill.) in Rock Island, Ill., while UW-Whitewater fell, 85-71, to Illinois Wesleyan University in Whitewater, Wis.

Augustana went off on an 11-3 run to jump out to a 42-34 lead five minutes into the second half, then jumped out to as much as a 12 point, 48-36 lead three minutes later.

But it was UW-Stout's turn to respond as the Blue Devils went off on a 12-0 run to knot the score at 48 all, with four players contributing to the run. Greg Chaisson had four points in the run, Adam Chandler and Ryan Stangl each hit 3-pointers and Jacob Nonemacher had a single bucket.

The teams played around with a couple of ties and two-to-three point Augustana leads before the Vikings nailed back-to-back 3-pointer to jump out to a seven point, 59-52 lead with 8:35 left.

UW-Stout would get as close as four points, 68-64, with 3:26 left, but Augustana's Nate Swetalla answered back with a 3-pointer and Augustana went on to make six consecutive free throws to finish the game.

Augustana's Rick Harrigan led all scorers with 24 points. Dain Swetalla scored 12 points and James McAdams-Thornton and Pat Brusveen each scored 11 points.

All five of UW-Stout's starters scored in double digits. Nonemacher led the Blue Devils with 16 points. Stangl had 15 points and Terry Farmer 12. Chaisson and Chandler each finished with 10 points.

Both teams shot well for the game, with each shooting 53 percent, but the Vikings shot a sizzling 71 percent in the second half.

UW-Stout finished the season with a 22-8 record. The 22 wins matched a school record for most wins in a single season as the 1968-69 squad finished 22-4.

Illinois Wesleyan shot 68% from the floor in the victory over UW-Whitewater, including 8-of-12 (67%) from beyond the arc, to take a 47-27 lead into the locker room at halftime. UW-Whitewater shot 36% from the field and 20% (1-of-5) from the line in the first 20 minutes.

Illinois Wesleyan led 65-50 at 8:43 when the Warhawks outscored the Titans 10-4 to cut the deficit to 69-60 with 5:02 left. Nine of Illinois Wesleyan's final 16 points came from the free throw line.

For the game, Illinois Wesleyan (25-36) made as many free throws as UW-Whitewater attempted (14-25).

Leading the Warhawks was Melvin Williams with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Andy Freund added nine points along with a team-high seven rebounds. Jeremy Manchester closed out his career with nine points and a team-leading four assists. As a team, the Warhawks shot 44.1% (26-of-59) from the field in the game, but shot 56% (14-of-25) from the free throw line.

Illinois Wesleyan was led by Adam Dauksas with a career-high 31 points on 9-of-13 from the field and 6-of-9 from the three point range. Dauksas added a game-high five assists. Keelan Amelianovich and Zach Freeman added 20 and 11 points, respectively. Cory Jones added a game-high nine boards. Illinois Wesleyan shot 59% (25-of-42) from the field and 55% (10-of-18) from three point range.

UW-Whitewater finished the season with a 23-6 record, marking its fourth 20-win season in the last five years.

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UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater Advance in NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, UW-La Crosse Falls Short

RELEASED: Friday, March 3, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stout and UW-Whitewater advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament with victories in the opening round of the tournament, while UW-La Crosse fell short in its first round contest on March 3.

UW-Stout edged Carleton College (Minn.), 66-64, at Carver PE Center in Rock Island, Ill., while UW-Whitewater outlasted DePauw University (Ind.), 76-68, at Kachel Gymnasium in Whitewater. UW-La Crosse fell, 79-71, to Calvin College (Mich.) at DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Mich.

Holding onto a two-point lead with only 15 seconds remaining, the Blue Devils did not allow the Knights an adequate chance to score and advance to the second round of the tournament against the winner of Augustana College (Ill.) and Buena Vista College (Iowa) on March 4 at 7 p.m.

UW-Stout never trailed in the second half, but Carleton launched a barrage of 3-point shots that definitely kept the Knights in the game.

It was a 3-pointer by Carleton's Dan Forkrud with 54 seconds left that pulled his team to within one point, 65-64. Carleton fouled Adam Chandler, who missed the back end of two free throws, giving the long range Knights hope with 15 seconds remaining.

But a Jacob Nonemacher rejection of a down low jumper by Tommy Drake and a turnover with two seconds left sent UW-Stout into their first-ever NCAA tournament second round game.

The game was tight throughout, and it was the Knights' perimeter game that kept it that way as they bombed their way to five first half 3-pointers and eight second half treys.

UW-Stout took a 34-32 lead, a lead they would not surrender, on a 3-pointer by Ryan Stangl just before the halftime buzzer.

UW-Stout kept Carleton scoreless over the first three minutes of the second half and built a 40-32 lead before the Knights came back. It wasn't until UW-Stout had possession of the final ball could the Blue Devils breath easy.

Nonemacher had a monster night off the glass, grabbing 19 rebounds - 11 defensive boards - and scoring 14 points. Chandler finished with 17 points and Stangl and Greg Chaisson each contributed 12 points.

Carleton, which hit 13-of-25 3-pointers, was led by Forkrud with 18 points, including four treys. Tommy Drake had 17 points with two bombs and 12 rebounds and Jake Phillips contributed 15 points, scoring all of his points from beyond the arc, nailing five.

UW-Stout carried an advantage at the free throw line, popping in 14-of-21 charity shots. Carleton made 5-of-9.

UW-Whitewater outlasted DePauw University (Ind.), 76-68, at Kachel Gymnasium in Whitewater and will host Illinois Wesleyan University in the second round on March 4 at 7 p.m.

Melvin Williams led four Warhawks in double figures with 16 points. Anthony Mlachnik buried three 3-points and had 15 points, while Rob Perry came off the bench to contribute 15 points. Mike Toellner added 14 points and was 8-of-8 from the free throw line.

Alex Stewart scored a game-high 19 points, including 14 in the second half, for DePauw.

UW-Whitewater shot 50.0% (27-of-54) from field in the contest and 37.5% (6-of-16) from three-point range. The Warhawks shot 84.2% (16-of-19) at the free throw line.

DePauw outrebounded the Warhawks 33-32 and had 11 turnovers compared to UW-Whitewater's 13.

UW-La Crosse fell 79-71 to Calvin College (Mich.) at DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, Mich. The Eagles were making their first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and finished the season with a 20-8 record, marking the first time the team reached 20 victories since the 1982-83 season.

UW-La Crosse raced out to an 8-0 lead with 17:13 left in the opening half after three-point field goals from Marcus Conigliaro and Chris Fehrenbach. Calvin came right back to go on an 11-0 run to lead 11-8 with 13:24 remaining. The game was tied at 12-12 with 10:49 remaining in the first half before the Knights took a two-point lead on a pair of free throws. Calvin would never trail again. The Eagles later cut the lead to 16-15 and trailed 27-25 with 3:30 left, but the Knights finished the half on an 8-0 run to lead 35-25 at intermission.

The Eagles could get no closer than seven points at 76-69 with 23 seconds remaining. Calvin led 40-30 with 18:24 left before going on a 6-0 run for a 16-point lead with 16:49 remaining.

UW-La Crosse trailed 70-60 with 4:15 left after Fehrenbach hit a three-point field goal.

Conigliaro led UW-La Crosse with 21 points, finishing eight-of-14 from the field, including five-of-10 from three-point range. Joe Werner recorded his 18th career double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, while Fehrenbach finished with 12 points, going three-of-five from three-point range.

UW-La Crosse shot 40.0% from the field, including 47.8% (11-of-23) from three-point range. The Eagles were 12-of-22 (54.5%) at the free throw line. UW-La Crosse finished with 17 turnovers.

Kyle Trewhella led Calvin with 19 points, while Tyler Zoerhof added 15 points. Calvin shot 46.6% from the field, including 40.0% (10-of-25) from three-point range. The Knights were 15-of-23 (65.2%) at the line.

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UW-Whitewater's Manchester Leads All-WIAC Men's Basketball Selections

RELEASED: Thursday, March 2, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Jeremy Manchester was voted the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Player of the Year to lead the 10 individuals chosen to the all-WIAC Men's Basketball First Team by the league coaches.

Manchester helped UW-Whitewater to their first regular season title since 2002 and the first WIAC tournament crown in school history. He ranks second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.479), seventh in assists (3.04), eighth in steals (1.33) and 10th in free throw percentage (.767). Manchester has started all 27 contests and led the Warhawks in scoring in nine games, including a career-high 27 points against UW-Stout in the tournament title game.

Manchester has reached double-figures in scoring in 19 contests. He ranks fourth on UW-Whitewater's all-time list with 153 career steals and seventh with 292 career assists. Manchester earned honorable mention status a year ago.

He is the ninth Warhawk to claim the conference's player of the year prize, joining James Stewart (1997), Allan Wassil (1996), Ty Evans (1994), Ricky Spicer (1990), Elbert Gordon (1989), Dwayne Johnson (1986), Andre McKoy (1984) and Mike Gutter (1980).

Manchester was joined on first team by teammate Melvin Williams, who ranks second on the team in scoring (11.3), fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.333) and fifth in field goal percentage (.456) and free throw percentage (.766). He was a honorable mention selection in 2005 and 2004.

UW-La Crosse's Joe Werner and Marcus Conigliaro helped the team to their first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament bid and 20 wins for the first time since 1982-83. Werner received second team status for the second straight season after leading the WIAC in field goal percentage (.590), while ranking second in rebounding (8.2), seventh in scoring (14.5) and ninth in blocked shots (0.56). He has started all 27 games and has led the team in scoring in 13 contests, while registering seven double-doubles.

Conigliaro has started all 27 contests and tops the league in three-point field goal percentage (.483), while placing third in three-point field goals made (2.56) and eighth in field goal percentage (.479).

UW-Stout landed two individuals on the first team after compiling the most wins (21) since the 1968-69 squad registered 22 victories. Jacob Nonemacher is second in the WIAC in blocked shots (3.70) and field goal percentage (.583) and third in rebounding (7.4). His 100 blocked shots are the second-most in league history, trailing only UW-Oshkosh's Kerry Gibson's 103 rejections this season. Nonemacher has led the team in rebounding in 13 games and has registered six double-doubles.

The Blue Devils' Terry Farmer places fifth in the conference in field goal percentage (.515) and sixth in rebounding (5.9). He ranks third on the team in scoring (11.7) and has started all 27 games.

UW-Platteville's LeVon Crawford places third in the league in field goal percentage (.577), fourth in steals (1.48), fifth in scoring (15.0) and free throw percentage (.836) and ninth in rebounding (5.6). He led the Pioneers in scoring 10 times, including a career-high 26-point effort against Concordia-Austin (Texas) on December 31. Coming into the year, he had not scored 20 points in a game, but this season reached that plateau seven times.

UW-River Falls' Hans Hoeg leads the WIAC in minutes played (35.88), while ranking second in scoring (17.3), fifth in three-point field goals made (2.32), sixth in free throw percentage (.828) and three-point field goal percentage (.420) and ninth in steals (1.28). He started all 25 contests for the Falcons and led them in scoring in 15 games, including a career-best 31 points against UW-Superior on January 25.

UW-Stevens Point's Jon Krull places third in the conference in scoring (16.7), fifth in steals (1.41), sixth in assists (3.26), seventh in free throw percentage (.824) and minutes played (33.00) and 10th in assist/turnover ratio (1.44). He started all 27 games for the Pointers and led the squad in scoring in 10 contests. Krull made more free throws than any other WIAC player has attempted this year.

UW-Superior's Leonard Cobb leads the WIAC in scoring (21.4) and rebounding (9.0), while ranking second in minutes played (34.12) and fourth in blocked shots (0.96). He is the fourth individual in the last six years to lead the league in scoring and rebounding, joining UW-River Falls' Rich Melzer (2003), UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak (2002) and UW-Superior's Vince Thomas (2001). Cobbs' 39 points against St. Scholastica (Minn.) on January 2 were the most in the conference this year, while his 35 field goal attempts in that same game were the second-most in league history.

Named to the honorable mention team were: UW-Eau Claire's Jared Bardon, UW-Oshkosh's Jim Capelle, Kerry Gibson and Andy Jahnke, UW-Stevens Point's Brian Bauer and Pete Rortvedt, UW-Stout's Adam Chandler and Ryan Stangl and UW-Whitewater's Rob Perry.

UW-Whitewater head coach Pat Miller was voted the league's coach of the year after guiding the Warhawks to the WIAC regular season and tournament titles and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The 22 wins compiled by the team are the most for the program since the 1996-97 squad also had 22 victories. Miller has registered a 103-34 overall record (.752 winning percentage) and 54-26 mark in WIAC contests in his five seasons with the team.

2005-06 All-WIAC Men's Basketball Team
First Team
Name, School, Year, Position, Height, Hometown (High School)
Jeremy Manchester, Whitewater, Senior, Guard, 6-1, Racine (St. Catherine's)
Joe Werner, La Crosse, Junior, Forward, 6-7, Chippewa Falls (McDonell)
LeVon Crawford, Platteville, Senior, Guard, 6-3, Chicago, Ill. (Thornwood)
Hans Hoeg, River Falls, Junior, Guard, 6-3, Litchfield, Minn.
Jon Krull, Stevens Point, Junior, Forward, 6-4, Marshall
Jacob Nonemacher, Stout, Junior, Center, 7-0, Kalispell, Mont. (Flathead)
Leonard Cobb, Superior, Junior, Forward, 6-6, Detroit, Mich.
Terry Farmer, Stout, Senior, Guard, 6-3, Kenosha (St. Joseph's)
Marcus Conigliaro, La Crosse, Senior, Guard, 6-2, Milwaukee (Vincent)
Melvin Williams, Whitewater, Senior, Guard/Forward, 6-3, Milwaukee (Riverside)

Honorable Mention
Brian Bauer, Stevens Point, Senior, Forward, 6-5, Auburndale
Andy Jahnke, Oshkosh, Senior, Guard, 6-3, Manitowoc (Lincoln)
Ryan Stangl, Stout, Sophomore, Guard, 6-0, Spring Valley
Adam Chandler, Stout, Sophomore, Guard, 5-9, Burnsville, Minn.
Rob Perry, Whitewater, Sophomore, Forward, 6-4, Milwaukee (Dominican)
Jim Capelle, Oshkosh, Junior, Forward, 6-7, Wisconsin Dells
Pete Rortvedt, Stevens Point, Freshman, Guard, 6-5, Minocqua (Lakeland)
Jared Bardon, Eau Claire, Sophomore, Guard, 6-3, DeForest
Kerry Gibson, Oshkosh, Junior, Center, 7-1, Jefferson

Player of the Year: Jeremy Manchester of Whitewater
Max Sparger Co-Scholar-Athletes: Tyler Birkel of Eau Claire and Tim Owen of La Crosse
Coach of the Year: Pat Miller of Whitewater

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UW-Eau Claire's Birkel and UW-La Crosse's Owen Named Men's Basketball Co-Scholar-Athletes

RELEASED: Thursday, March 2, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Tyler Birkel and UW-La Crosse's Tim Owen have been named 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Max Sparger Men's Basketball Co-Scholar-Athletes.

Birkel, a senior from Spring Valley, Wis., is majoring in math with a minor in finance and maintains a 3.44 grade point average. He is a three-time member of the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has passed the Actuarial Professional Exam FM. Birkel has been named to UW-Eau Claire's Dean's List and Honor Roll six semesters.

As a team captain this year, Birkel led the Blugolds in blocked shots and field goal percentage the last four years. He was named his team's Most Valuable Freshman during his initial season.

Birkel is a member of Omicion Delta Kappa and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies, while also being a part of UW-Eau Claire's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. He has volunteered at a local elementary school teaching math to second graders and has participated in campus clean up days, food drives and Kids' Night Out.

Owen, a senior from Middleton, Wis., carries a 3.45 grade point average and is majoring in math education. He is a two-time selection to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll and has been named to UW-La Crosse's Dean's List three semesters. Owen has also received an academic scholarship from his institution.

Owen helped UW-La Crosse to their first NCAA Division III Tournament bid this season. He received his team's Most Dedicated Award last year after claiming the Team Servant hood Award during the 2003-04 campaign.

Owen had served as a volunteer tutor for local elementary and middle school students. He has been involved in a Community Can Drive, Neighbors Day and Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award is named after Max Sparger, who served as commissioner of the Wisconsin State University Conference from July, 1971 - July, 1993.

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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Three Teams Selected for NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

RELEASED: Monday, February 27, 2006

Madison, Wis.--Three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) men's basketball teams have been selected to participate in the NCAA Division III Tournament. UW-La Crosse, UW-Stout and UW-Whitewater will represent the league in the 59-team field.

The three teams are the most the conference has sent to the national tournament since the 1997 season when UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater participated in postseason action.

The WIAC and the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin are the only two conferences to send three teams to the national tournament.

UW-La Crosse and UW-Stout received two of 18-large bids into the field, while UW-Whitewater claimed the league's automatic bid after winning the conference tournament.

UW-La Crosse (20-7) is making its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance and will face Calvin College (Mich.) (22-6) on Friday, March 3 at Hope College in Holland, Michigan. Hope (26-2) will host Wisconsin Lutheran College (14-14) in the other first round game March 3. The winners will play in the second round Saturday, March 4 at Hope.

UW-Stout (21-6) is also appearing in its first NCAA tournament appearance and will face Carleton College (Minn.) (21-6) on March 3 at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Augustana (21-5) will host Buena Vista University (Iowa) (15-13) in the other first round game March 3. The winners will play in the second round March 4 at Augustana.

UW-Whitewater (22-5) will host DePauw University (Ind.) (15-12) in a first round contest March 3 at Kachel Gymnasium. Illinois Wesleyan University (20-6) and Carroll College (Wis.) (21-4) will also square off in Whitewater on March 3. The two winners will compete in second round action on March 4 in Whitewater.

UW-Whitewater is making its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and claimed national titles in 1984 and 1989.

NCAA Division III Men's Basketball First/Second Round Schedules:
at Whitewater, Wis. hosted by UW-Whitewater
Friday, March 3
Illinois Wesleyan (20-6) vs. Carroll (Wis.) (21-4), 6 p.m.
DePauw (Ind.) (15-12) at UW-Whitewater (22-5), 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 4
First Round winners, 7 p.m.

at Holland, Michigan hosted by Hope College
Friday, March 3
UW-La Crosse (20-7) vs. Calvin (Mich.) (22-6), 6 p.m.-ET
Wisconsin Lutheran (14-14) at Hope (Mich.) (26-2), 8 p.m.-ET

Saturday, March 4
First Round winners, 7 p.m.-ET

at Rock Island, Illinois hosted by Augustana College
Friday, March 3
UW-Stout (21-6) vs. Carleton (Minn.) (21-6), 6 p.m.
Buena Vista (Iowa) (15-13) at Augustana (Ill.) (21-5), 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 4
First Round winners, 7 p.m.

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UW-Whitewater Captures Men's Basketball Tournament Championship

RELEASED: Saturday, February 25, 2006

Whitewater, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater captured the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Basketball Tournament championship with a 78-60 victory over UW-Stout at Kachel Gymnasium.

The tournament title is the first in school history for the Warhawks and gives them the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament.

UW-Whitewater had advanced to the league's tournament championship game four of the last five years, but finally broke through to earn the school's first NCAA Division III Tournament berth since 1997.

UW-Whitewater has also been down the NCAA "road" before, with 2006 the school's 12th NCAA III appearance, and their first since 1997. Head coach Pat Miller played on the 1989 team, one of two national titles UW-Whitewater has earned (the other was 1984).

UW-Whitewater shot out to a 9-0 lead before UW-Stout got their first bucket four minutes into the game. The Warhawks added to the lead throughout the half, building as much as an 18-point lead three minutes before the half and a 45-32 halftime advantage. UW-Whitewater's Manchester, fresh off the game-winning shot in the tournament semifinals against UW-La Crosse, scored 20 of his career-high 27 points in the first half.

UW-Stout never led in the game and UW-Whitewater's lead grew to as much as 25 points with two minutes left in the contest.

Manchester's point total was also the most scored by a Warhawk this season. Anthony Mlachnik added 13 points, and Rob Perry contributed 12.

The Blue Devils were led by Ryan Stangel with 20 points. Also in double figures for UW-Stout was Terry Farmer who collected a double-double for the third-straight contest, with 14 points and a game-high ten rebounds.

UW-Whitewater had a season-low six turnovers in the win and made 19-of-24 free throws compared to UW-Stout's 8-of-15 charity shots.

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UW-Whitewater's Miller Secures 100th Career Victory

RELEASED: Monday, February 20, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater head coach Pat Miller secured his 100th career victory in the Warhawks' 91-88 double overtime victory over UW-Eau Claire on February 18 at Zorn Arena in Eau Claire, Wis.

Miller is in his fifth season with the Warhawks and owns a career record of 100-35 (74.1 winning percentage).

He is the fourth UW-Whitewater men's basketball coach to reach the century mark. Miller was preceded to the milestone by Chick Agnew, who recorded number 100 with his second win of the 1936-37 season; Bob Weigandt, whose seventh win in 1961-62 hit the mark, and Miller's mentor, Dave Vander Meulen, who accomplished it most recently. Vander Meulen, who coached Miller to the 1989 NCAA Division III national championship, reached #100 on December 29, 1983 with a 70-68 double overtime win over Lewis University.

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UW-Whitewater Claims Men's Basketball Championship

RELEASED: Thursday, February 16, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Whitewater claimed the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's Basketball Championship with a 59-49 victory over UW-Oshkosh on February 15 at Kolf Sports Center in Oshkosh.

The league title for the Warhawks is their first since 2002 and 11th in school history (2006, 2002, 2001, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1974, 1973, 1962, 1952, 1943).

UW-Whitewater is currently 12-3 in conference action and travels to UW-Eau Claire on February 18 for the last contest of the regular season. UW-Stout sits at 11-4 and has a chance to share the crown with UW-Whitewater if they defeat UW-La Crosse on February 18 and the Warhawks lose to the Blugolds.

In the victory over UW-Oshkosh, the Warhawks started the contest with a quick 5-0 outburst to take the largest lead for either team in the first half. The score remained tight throughout the first stanza with the score being tied five times.

Neither team mustered much of an offense in the first period as both teams combined to shot a paltry 34 percent (16-47) from the floor. Nathan Wesener gave the Titans a 25-24 advantage at the break with two made shots in the last 29 seconds.

UW-Whitewater stormed out of the gate in the second half with a 16-2 run in the first 6:41 to take a 13-point lead at 40-27. UW-Oshkosh responded with an eight point skein to close to within 40-35 and cut the lead to four twice at 50-46 and 52-48. The last four point deficit came with 55 ticks left on the clock.

With UW-Oshkosh forced to foul, UW-Whitewater's Giovanni Riley hit five consecutive free throws to put the Warhawks up by nine at 57-48 with 28 seconds left in the game. After a made free throw by the Titans' Kerry Gibson, the Warhawks finished out the scoring with two free throws by Mike Toellner.

Gibson and Wesener finished with a game-high 13 points each for the Titans. Gibson finished the night one rebound and one blocked shot away from a triple double as he hauled in nine rebounds and swatted nine shots.

Melvin Williams scored 11 points, followed by Rob Perry with 10 points and Toellner with nine points for UW-Whitewater. Jeremy Manchester finished with five assists and five rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh finished the night making 14-51 shots from the floor, 11.1 (1-9) percent from beyond the arc and 66.7 percent (20-30) from the free throw line. UW-Whitewater finished the contest canning 35.1 percent (20-57) from the field, 20 percent (3-15) from the three-point line and 80 percent (16-20) from the charity stripe.

UW-Oshkosh held a 45-36 advantage in rebounds, including hauling in 19 on the offensive glass.

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UW-Platteville's Krause Claims Academic All-District Second Team Honors

RELEASED: Thursday, February 9, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville's Sean Krause has been named to the 2006 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Five College Division Men's Basketball Second Team.

The team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Krause, a junior guard from Fort Atkinson, Wis., claimed academic all-district second team status for the second straight year. He is majoring in mechanical engineering and maintains a 3.87 grade point average.

Krause has participated in 16 games for the Pioneers this season and averages 5.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, while dishing out 30 assists and recording 10 steals.

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Fiedler Named Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officials

RELEASED: Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Madison, Wis.--The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) announced today the selection of Tom Fiedler as the conference's coordinator of men's basketball officials. Fiedler will officially assume the position at the conclusion of the 2005-06 academic year and succeeds longtime coordinator Don Page who announced his retirement in November.

Fiedler who serves as the principal at Eau Claire North High School has been a WIAC men's basketball official since 1982. He also officiated women's basketball in the WIAC from 1979-2000. He has been selected to officiate in the WIAC Men's Postseason Basketball Tournament every year since the inception of the tournament in 1998 and has also officiated numerous NCAA men's and women's playoff games, including three NCAA Division III women's final fours.

In addition to his on-court officiating, Fiedler has served as the commissioner of the Big Rivers Conference since 1990 which entails assigning officials for nine different high school sports. This past fall, Fiedler was also selected to replace the retiring Don Page as the WIAC Coordinator of Football Officials.

"Needless to say, the WIAC is extremely fortunate to have someone with Tom's energy, expertise and experience assume this position. Tom's background as both an official and an assignor along with his familiarity with the basketball officials in the WIAC and surrounding collegiate conferences should prove to be invaluable as we continually strive to recruit and retain the most qualified officials", commented WIAC Commissioner Gary Karner.

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UW-River Falls' Bowen Moves into Seventh Place on All-Time Wins List

RELEASED: Monday, January 30, 2006

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-River Falls head coach Rick Bowen moved into seventh place on the WIAC all-time wins list with a 58-56 victory over UW-Oshkosh on January 28 at the Karges Center in River Falls, Wis.

Bowen is in his 20th season at the helm of the Falcons and owns a 264-244 all-time record (523 winning percentage). With the win, he moved past Burt MacDonald who coached at UW-La Crosse from 1973-89 and posted a 263-184 mark.

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UW-Platteville's Combs Records 100th Career Victory

RELEASED: Monday, December 12, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Platteville head coach Paul Combs recorded his 100th career victory with a 58-45 victory over UW-River Falls on December 10 at the Karges Center in River Falls, Wis.

Combs is in his third season at UW-Platteville and has compiled a 40-23 record at the school. He previously served four years at Lakeland College and registered a 60-45 mark.

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UW-Oshkosh's Van Dellen Moves into Sixth Place on All-Time Wins List

RELEASED: Thursday, December 8, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh head coach Ted Van Dellen moved into sixth place on the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) all-time wins list with a 57-52 victory over St. Norbert College on December 7 at the Schuldes Sports Center in De Pere, Wis.

Van Dellen is in his 16th season with the Titans and has amassed a 264-143 career record (.649 winning percentage).

Van Dellen surpassed Burt McDonald who coached at UW-La Crosse from 1973-89 and compiled a 263-184 mark. Bo Ryan ranks fifth on the league's all-time chart after directing UW-Platteville to a 353-76 record from 1985-99.

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Semling Named UW-Stevens Point Head Men’s Basketball Coach

RELEASED: Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Stevens Point, Wis.--Bob Semling, who served as the top assistant coach for UW-Stevens Point’s NCAA Division III championships the past two seasons, has been named the school’s 22nd head men’s basketball coach.

Semling, 47, officially takes over the position after filling the role on an interim basis since Jack Bennett announced his retirement on Aug. 26. Bennett left UW-Stevens Point as the school’s all-time winningest coach with a 200-56 record over nine seasons. A national search was conducted during September to find Bennett’s replacement.

It is the first collegiate head coaching job for Semling, who had two successful stints as an assistant coach with the Pointers as well as eight years at the Division I level.

“We’re extremely pleased that Bob has accepted our offer to become our next head coach,” UW-Stevens Point athletics director Frank O’Brien said. “He has been an integral part of Pointer basketball over the years and we are very excited that he will be leading our program.”

Semling was an assistant coach at UW-Stevens Point under Bob Parker from 1988-95 as the Pointers posted a 127-63 record, including a 27-2 mark in 1991-92. He then spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at UW-Green Bay and one year as the Director of Basketball Operations at New Mexico before returning to UW-Stevens Point for the 2003-04 season.

“Our staff and players know that the bar has been raised to a high level and we welcome that challenge,” Semling said. “This is a job where I know we have the resources and tradition in place that we can be successful in our league and in postseason play. We absolutely embrace the challenge of continuing to win championships here at Stevens Point.”

A Merrill native, Semling was a three-year starter at quarterback at UW-Eau Claire from 1977-79. As a student at UW-Eau Claire, he assisted with Ken Anderson and the men’s basketball team, making NAIA Final Four appearances in each of his final two seasons. Semling then spent one season as an assistant at Park Falls High School and assisted Bennett for two seasons at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School, reaching the state tournament with both schools. Semling was the head coach at Wausau West High School for three seasons from 1985-88 prior to his first stint at UW-Stevens Point.

Semling takes over a program that finished 29-3 last year and has won two straight national titles and five of the last six Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.

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UW-Stevens Point's Bennett and UW-Stout's Thomas Receive Coach of the Year Awards

RELEASED: Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point's Jack Bennett and UW-Stout's Mark Thomas have been named the 2005 Men's and Women's NCAA Division III Coaches of the Year by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association.

Bennett led UW-Stevens Point to their second straight NCAA Division III championship during the 2004-05 campaign. The Pointers compiled a 29-3 overall record, including a 13-3 WIAC mark and the WIAC regular season and tournament titles. Bennett announced his retirement on August 19, 2005 after nine seasons at UW-Stevens Point. He captured five WIAC titles, five NCAA tournament apearances and two national championships. Bennett departs as the school's all-time winningest coach with a 200-56 record.

Thomas directed UW-Stout to a 24-7 overall record, including a 12-4 WIAC showing, the WIAC Tournament title and an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III Tournament. He completed his 18th season at UW-Stout and became the conference's all-time winningest coach with a 310-166 record. Thomas has captured three conference titles and made seven NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.

Bennett and Thomas were honored along with the other recipients of the WBCA's 2005 coaching awards at a special ceremony Saturday, Sept. 17, in Madison. Other recipients included Bo Ryan (DI Men's Coach of the Year) and Kevin Borseth (DI Women's).

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UW-Stout's Andrist To Be Consultant For Qatar During Asian Games

RELEASED: Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Menomonie, Wis.--Eddie Andrist, UW-Stout's head men's basketball coach, will spend time, again, with Qatar's men's national basketball team from Wednesday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Sept. 18, in conjunction with the Asian Games.

Qatar is a relatively-small country that juts off the lower-east side of Saudi Arabia, sits directly east of Bahrain and is surrounded by the Persian Gulf.

Andrist, who coached the Qatar National Team to the program's first-ever Asian Games gold medal in 2000, is making the 13-hour flight to essentially serve as a consultant, and will conduct a clinic and assist with practices. He will not serve as an official team coach, however.

"They want me to watch their team and tell them what I think," Andrist said. "They also think I will bring them some luck. It is a great opportunity for me to connect with good friends."

Five players from Andrist's 2000 Asian Games championship squad remain on the Qatar roster. Andrist indicated that China will be competing in this year's Asian Games and will be, in his opinion, the gold-medal favorite.

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