MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[titan2000]

I guess from your comment that the haikus are too difficult for most WIAC grads?

I am an Oshkosh grad, I didn't struggle too much writing them.

Did you go to Whitewater? 

[John Gleich]

If you want haikus
we can probably write some
we just don't want to.

Most would rather talk
about basketball and not
about poetry

UWSP has named an interim assistant:
http://www.uwsp.edu/athletics/mbb/05-06/Andersonhired.htm

[True Basketball Fan]

Is it standard procedure or do they realy want to find other people to fill those positions?  I don't know them, but they sound like quality replacements.

Titan 2000, my negative karma is gaining on you!

[John Gleich]

It's a UW regulation.  They have to do it that way.

[laxeagles1]

I was wondering how these teams are going to be this year???

UW-River Falls

UW-LaCrosse

UW-Eau Claire


Have not heard too much on any of these teams, and was wondering about new comers and how they fit into the WIAC picture this season.

Lacrosse has alot of depth and new talent up and coming.  Marcus Conigliaro returns at PG and should be a great senior leader.  Chris Fahrenbach at shooting guard returns.  Chris Ask is back and healthy and should start at SF.........PF is up for grabs, I last years starter Tim Owen returns but should face some healthy competition from Scott Burnowski(sp.) and others..........Joe Werner will anchor the middle and be a top Center in the conference.

Bench player possiblities include:UWM transfer Luke Homan, UWGB transfer Jared Pelkopfer, a few other freshman as well as those returning frmo last year (huss, borchard, etc.)

This year is a year Lacrosse should make a little bit of noise in the conference and add some excitement for it's student base, as well as draw more than 200 for the average game this year...........I look forward to seeing some success on the court and know that the players are there to do it.......Let's hope the wheel that turns the car doesn't allow himself and his staff to settle for less than what the team is capable of doing........He has let the wheel slide the last two years and I got a feeling he will not do it this year and field a winning squad........now that his recruits are in Coach Koelbl needs to prove more than just to his players that he has what it takes to be a winning coach. 

[True Basketball Fan]

LaCrosse has the lowest attendance average in the State of Wisconsin outside of those bible colleges and no-name jucos, I'm guessing.  I'm also guessing that Superior is not too far behind.   

[warhawkguy]

The WARHAWKS[/color] have found replacement games for the two lost to hurricane Katrina.  They'll  be participating in a Thanksgiving tournament in Anderson, Indiana.  Sorry but I don't know the participants in the tourney.

Who is so "smitten" with me?   

[True Basketball Fan]

Sounds like a lucky break to me.  Most of the time teams can only catch a real good team late and Anderson is hardly that.

[John Gleich]

True Basketball Fan,

Per the WIAC basketball page,  La Crosse's home attendance last year was 430 fans per game.  That's 31 more than River Falls (399) and 250 more than Superior (180).  Their average attendance is also greater than the entire Lake Michigan Conference (which is a D-3 conference... maybe that's what you mean by "those bible colleges" but, they're 4 year colleges, just like the WIAC...).  River Falls is also ahead of the entire LMC, whose attendance leader last season was Maranatha Baptist, at 302 fans per game.  Superior's fans, who loyally packed the newly renamed "Mertz Mortorelli Gymnasium" 180 strong, were ahead of Lakeland's (129) and MSOE's (170).

Now, compared to Point (1928, 4th in D3), Stout (1441, 7th in D3) or Platteville (1050, 17th in D3) these three WIAC schools don't really appear to be drawing in that many fans.  But when you consider that the national attendance average for D3 is 431, then you see that La Crosse is right on track for mediocrity.  When you also learn that the WIAC has the second best attendence per game (936) in the nation behind the MIAA (1115) (whose member schools Hope (2462 1st in D3) and Calvin (2261 3rd in D3) are perrenially in the top 3) you realize that the conference is doing just fine for attendance.  

The point is, basketball in the state of Wisconsin is something people want to see.  Across the board in this state (except for the LMC) it's above the national average (for a little more context, the Midwest Conference was 6th in the country for average attendance at 642 per game).  Except for the three teams at the bottom and the 3 teams at the top, the three in the middle are in the 800 range, which is very respectable.

I expect La Crosse's attendance to be up this year.  I also predict that they will be an improved team.  The players who are at LaX have learned under Coach Koelbl for two seasons, and the players that he needs for the type of system he wants to play are now in position.  I think La Crosse will do well this year.

[True Basketball Fan]

Hence the word "guess".  I don't do lengthy research projects very often.

Great info though, Point.  I appreciate your dedication to the numbers.

[True Basketball Fan]

Oh yeah.....thanks for the smite, my karma was starting to get too close to zero.

[Greek Tragedy]

I'm too lazy to look up the numbers...

Lakeland is in a bunch of corn fields and it's "located" in Sheboygan.  But, believe me, in my opinion, Lakeland has no ties to the city and rarely "advertises" it's sports to the Sheboygan residents.  All of their athletic fields are on campus, which is 15 miles from Sheboygan out in the middle of nowhere.

Wisconsin Lutheran College, MSOE and even Concordia (Mequon) are all located in the Milwaukee area.  Even those students probably can find something better to do.  Edgewood is in Madison...enough said.  I'm not sure what Marian's attendence is in Fond du Lac, but it doesn't seem like there is much to do in that city.  Maranatha Baptist Bible College is in Watertown. 

My point is, four of the LMC schools are located in big cities where there is a lot to do.  Lakeland is virtually disconnected with Sheboygan.  Not real sure about Marian in Fondy.

[wischoops12]

I have not seen this topic in a long time...

Who are the best assistants in the WIAC?

longest tenure has got to be Berkhof or Gaubatz aka suspender boy at Oshkosh?

Wondering what everyone else thinks....


This topic has changed a bunch in the last few years with Miller and Koebel becoming head coaches and now Semling....   

I think that the best assistant is Skrivseth at Whitwater.  They always have talent and he seems to work well with Miller.  They have a great staff with Callerro and Vogel.

[warhawkguy]

"suspender boy'  LMAO

I like our staff too.

[playdefense]

Hey all you guys with ?'s about WIAC assistants!  Why do you think UW-Oshkosh has had so much success in the past 6-8 years.  GAUBATZ!  He is a terrific recruiter and the list of great kids he's brought in for TVD is endless.

I realize some of these listed players are transfers, but Gaubatz'  previous influence played a part in them coming to TVD's program!

Brett Davis
Dennis Ruedinger
Tim Dworak
Nate Miller
Justin Kamps
Nick Scherer
Eric Vaubel
Andy Fernholz
Jim Capelle
Chad Doedens
Kerry Gibson
Nathan Wesner
Brad Clark
Keith Meyer
Paul Jonas
Scott Sowinski
Peter Warning
Matt Aslakson
Jake Browarski
Joe Imhoff
Brent Nerat
Forrest Olson
Matt Miller - Key Recruit for Fall 2005

Since 1996 this list of players has led Oshkosh to the 2002 regular season WIAC Championship, 2002 and 2003 WIAC Tournament Championships, and five appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament Championship.  This includes a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2002 and Elite Eight in 2003.  This kind of consistency in the past nine years can only be matched in the WIAC by Jack Bennett's Pointers.  And......................if any of you (like me) watched the Oshkosh/Point game in last years WIAC Tournament Semi-Final, all of you would agree that Oshkosh was not that far behind the Pointers.  Had the Titans won that game they could've gone all the way to the NCAA Championship!

That consistency can also be matched by Bo Ryan's Platteville's teams before Bo headed for UW-Milwaukee and ultimatley to the Badgers.  However, had Bo's teams not had the great success in the mid 90's, Oshkosh was the next power in line due to these recruits.

Find me a current WIAC assistant with those credentials!