Pointers Picked To Win WIAC Men's Basketball Title
Wednesday, October 30th, 2013 -- 12:53 PM
Defending champion University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is the preseason choice to win the 2014 WIAC men's basketball title, in a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.The Pointers, who are ranked fourth in the D3hoops.com Preseason Top 25, earned 17 first-place votes in the conference projections. UW-Stevens Point has collected a league-high 27 WIAC regular-season championships, including nine of the last 14. The Pointers return four starters and 80.0 percent of their scoring from last year's team that finished second in the NCAA Division III with a 77.5 free-throw shooting percentage and third with 9.7 turnovers per game.
Senior Trevor Hass, junior Joe Ritchay and senior Clayton Heuer finished second (11.6), third (11.2) and fourth (10.4), respectively, on the team in scoring a year ago. Back from injury is senior Tyler Tillema, who played in nine games and posted 18.0 points per contest. UW-Stevens Point will play five of its first eight games at home. The Pointers have accumulated 20-plus victories in seven of eight seasons under head coach Bob Semling, who is 13 wins away from achieving 200 in his career and matching Jack Bennett for the program lead.
UW-Whitewater claimed the remaining first-place vote and is slotted for second in the nine-team league derby.
2013-14 Preseason Predictions--Voted on by WIAC Head Coaches and Sports Information Directors
2012-13 Record
1. UW-Stevens Point (17) 22-6 overall, 14-2 WIAC
2. UW-Whitewater (1) 24-5, 13-3
3. UW-Platteville 19-9, 10-6
4. UW-Stout 20-7, 11-5
5. UW-La Crosse 17-9, 10-6
6. UW-Superior 9-17, 5-11
7. UW-River Falls 8-17, 3-13
8. UW-Eau Claire 10-15, 4-12
9. UW-Oshkosh 7-18, 2-14
( )--First-place votes
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.