MBB: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

Well, that was ugly. Point loses 63-55. Good thing we'll get back on track against some cupcake teams this weekend in one of last year's semi-finalist and the ODAC champ.

LOL Love the play on words there... I see what you did. Very nice.

[badgerwarhawk]

WARHAWKS preview....

http://www.gazettextra.com/20161117/uw_w_men_eyeing_a_bounceback_season

[Greek Tragedy]

WARHAWKS preview....
R
http://www.gazettextra.com/20161117/uw_w_men_eyeing_a_bounceback_season

I'm not an "all access member" and don't want to be. 

[badgerwarhawk]

WARHAWKS preview....
R
http://www.gazettextra.com/20161117/uw_w_men_eyeing_a_bounceback_season

I'm not an "all access member" and don't want to be. 

WHITEWATER--The men's basketball season cannot begin soon enough at UW-Whitewater.

Pat Miller, the Warhawks head coach and a Janesville native, has been itching to put last season's 16-10 finish behind him.

As Miller puts it, an above-.500 season might not be considered all that problematic with some programs, but the standards are a little different at Whitewater. Miller's .773 winning percentage in 15 seasons shows that, and the team is less than three years removed from winning a national championship.

The Warhawks may again have a team capable of challenging for a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title. Miller's first order of business is determining what style of basketball his team should play, and when.

That continues Friday when UW-W hosts Colorado College at 7 p.m. at Kachel Gymnasium.

"We have the ability to be small and very athletic; we have the ability to be large and not as athletic," Miller said.

"One of the reasons we've been successful throughout the years is we've had the flexibility to play differently. ... A lot of time, if you're a slower, bigger team and you match up with a really quick team, you're in trouble and you're going to lose that game. We've had the ability to almost morph into what we need to be against certain opponents.

"The challenge is figuring out who the top 10, even 11, guys are that we're going to be utilizing."

The Warhawks return just one of their top four leading scorers from a year ago. Senior forward Cole Van Schyndel averaged 12.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Andre Brown, Elkhorn's Drew Bryson, Janesville's Jerry Ngobi and Maurquis Turner all return after playing in nearly every game and sometimes starting. Only Brown (8.7 ppg) averaged more than six points.

Some of the load will fall to Miller's incoming class, which includes a couple transfers in juniors Scotty Tyler, Demetrius Woodley and Chris Jones.

"Jones, for example, can play the one (point guard), the two (shooting guard)," Miller said. "He's a very dynamic scorer, so do we want him to expend the energy being a point guard?

"Maurquis Turner can play the three or four. Scotty Tyler the four or five. Andre Brown the one or two. We have a lot of flexibility."

It's the second straight year that Miller goes into the season with a relatively new and unproven lineup.

"I feel better this year," he said. "Our personnel is better this year. Our depth is better this year."

Miller also said freshman Zach Knobloch will make an immediate impact at the guard position.

The Warhawks will attempt to start forging their new identity tonight.

"Last year was a season where we had leads in the second half and just figured out ways to lose games," Miller said. "We just weren't sound enough, made too many mistakes, didn't have great shot selection.

"We have to get back to being great at what we do."

Home is where the 'hawks are

UW-W leaves the state just once during the nonconference portion of the season and plays just three times away from Kachel Gymnasium.

The Warhawks play at Ohio Northern on Nov. 26. Their only other non-home nonconference games area in Wisconsin Dells Dec. 29-30.

"The most (home games) we've ever had," Miller said. "We've limited our travel this year a little bit. Ohio Northern, Colorado College, a couple teams outside our region will be a good test."

Local players

A pair of Janesville Craig players are on the UW-W roster.

Junior Jerry Ngobi played in all 26 games last year, starting 12, and averaged six points per game.

"Jerry brings such a high level of energy," Miller said. "Right now we're transitioning a little bit with him. He can still play the one (point guard), but it's not his natural position.

"Now that we've added some depth at the point guard position, we're actually looking at him off the ball a little bit."

Freshman Riley Jensen, a 6-foot-10 post player, joins his former high school teammate this season.

Elkhorn native Drew Bryson played in all 26 games, starting 19, last year and averaged 6.1 points.

Taken from the Janesville Gazette 11/16/16           

[tomt4525]

http://www.uwlathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&
La Crosse posted their roster....of their huge incoming freshman class, 4 are listed.

Incoming Recruits

Colton Homan  6'8" F  Waupun, ranked 29th in the Wisconsin Senior Top 50
Matty Farner  6'4" F  Muskego, ranked 42nd in the Wisconsin Senior Top 50
Chris Ancius  6'5" WG  La Crosse Aquinas
Simon Lensmire  6'6" F  Lake Mills
Lucas Scherr  6'3" G/F  Gale Ettrick Trempeleau
Lane Von Rueden  6'8" F  Mlwaukee Marquette
Sam Wiersma  6'1" G  Beaver Dam
Spencer Wright  6'3" G  Madison Abundant Life
Kilan Boland  6'1"  G  Seneca

All of these players aren't listed on La Crosse's roster, they also had another transfer that I didn't know about in Tanner Bruchs.  He transferred in from Bemidji St.

[Greek Tragedy]

Thanks, Badger!

[cubs]

http://www.uwlathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&
La Crosse posted their roster....of their huge incoming freshman class, 4 are listed.

Incoming Recruits

Colton Homan  6'8" F  Waupun, ranked 29th in the Wisconsin Senior Top 50
Matty Farner  6'4" F  Muskego, ranked 42nd in the Wisconsin Senior Top 50
Chris Ancius  6'5" WG  La Crosse Aquinas
Simon Lensmire  6'6" F  Lake Mills
Lucas Scherr  6'3" G/F  Gale Ettrick Trempeleau
Lane Von Rueden  6'8" F  Mlwaukee Marquette
Sam Wiersma  6'1" G  Beaver Dam
Spencer Wright  6'3" G  Madison Abundant Life
Kilan Boland  6'1"  G  Seneca

All of these players aren't listed on La Crosse's roster, they also had another transfer that I didn't know about in Tanner Bruchs.  He transferred in from Bemidji St.

Would be interesting to know how many of the above actually enrolled in classes this fall.....  Guessing there are a few "grey-shirt" kids in this situation.

[Hoops Junkie]

What's funny is Homan played in the exhibition game against Bradley and Jordan Machacek started at the center as a junior and is now not listed on the roster. 

Homan and I am sure a few others are grey shirting

[tomt4525]

http://www.uwlathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=mbball&
La Crosse posted their roster....of their huge incoming freshman class, 4 are listed.

Incoming Recruits

Colton Homan  6'8" F  Waupun, ranked 29th in the Wisconsin Senior Top 50
Matty Farner  6'4" F  Muskego, ranked 42nd in the Wisconsin Senior Top 50
Chris Ancius  6'5" WG  La Crosse Aquinas
Simon Lensmire  6'6" F  Lake Mills
Lucas Scherr  6'3" G/F  Gale Ettrick Trempeleau
Lane Von Rueden  6'8" F  Mlwaukee Marquette
Sam Wiersma  6'1" G  Beaver Dam
Spencer Wright  6'3" G  Madison Abundant Life
Kilan Boland  6'1"  G  Seneca

All of these players aren't listed on La Crosse's roster, they also had another transfer that I didn't know about in Tanner Bruchs.  He transferred in from Bemidji St.

Would be interesting to know how many of the above actually enrolled in classes this fall.....  Guessing there are a few "grey-shirt" kids in this situation.

I heard Matty Farner ended up at Carroll, not La Crosse....but I don't see him listed for Carroll either...maybe a grey-shirt there?? 

[tomt4525]

What's funny is Homan played in the exhibition game against Bradley and Jordan Machacek started at the center as a junior and is now not listed on the roster. 

Homan and I am sure a few others are grey shirting

Looking at the exhibition box score, Lane Von Rueden played as well and now isn't listed on the roster...looks to be another greyshirt.  One other thing that was interesting, Austin Fritz isn't listed as playing in the exhibition game, anybody know if he's injured??  Tough blow to La Crosse if he is out an extended period of time.

[badgerwarhawk]

Thanks, Badger!

Why anyone wouldn't want all of the many benefits befitting an "all access member" is beyond me but none the less you're welcome. 

Truth be told I use my office manager's credentials to gain access to this privileged status.   She's actually the member.   

[Gregory Sager]

Miller's .773 winning percentage in 15 seasons shows that, and the team is less than three years removed from winning a national championship.

I can't believe that it's been fifteen years since Dave Vandermeulen retired and Pat Miller took over at UWW. It seems like it was just yesterday.

Clearly, I'm getting old.

I heard Matty Farner ended up at Carroll, not La Crosse....but I don't see him listed for Carroll either...maybe a grey-shirt there?? 

It's highly unlikely that anybody grayshirts at a private school. That's especially true at a private school like Carroll, where tuition and room & board cost $38,000 per year.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

38 grand is a bargain for a private school these days.

[UWSAlum]

Zach Schradle had a solid game in UW-La Crosse's win over Lakeland.

21 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Went 3-4 from the field, but made 15 of his 18 free throw attempts.

[Greek Tragedy]

Yeah, Schradle had his way with a smaller Lakeland team. La Crosse showed it can be a good team when it wants. They took the foot off the pedal a few times and Lakeland cut it to 4 a few times (I believe). But with the help of Lakeland's mistakes and La Crosse just being better, victory was never really in doubt.

Lakeland is not a very good team and I don't see them winning much, even in the poor NACC.