Pioneers Kick-Off 2022-23 Season Today

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball team opens its 2022-23 season on Friday evening against Lawrence University at the UW-Superior Classic. The Pioneers are coming off a 22-6 season a year ago, including an appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The Pioneers will have to replace the production of four starters, including a pair of First-Team All-WIAC honorees in Quentin Shields and Kyle Tuma, along with All-Defense member Justin Stovall. Those three, along with Blake McCann, accounted for nearly 50 points per game along with over 20 rebounds and nearly 10 assists per game.

The lone starter returning for the Pioneers is junior guard Logan Pearson, who was named to WIAC Honorable Mention a year ago after averaging 11.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on a team-best 57.2 shooting percentage. Pearson will be expected to shoulder a larger load offensively along with junior guard Ben Probst who averaged 9.4 points per game off the bench. Probst was the top three-point shooter for UW-Platteville last year, shooting at a 41.3 percent clip.

Replacing four starters will be difficult, and it will be a test for the Pioneers coaching staff to find the right player combinations early in the season. Senior forwards Brad Nies and Cam Paske will earn many of the minutes on the inside, while juniors Brady Olson and Jack Huml will look to step into important roles on the perimeter.

Head Coach Jeff Gard enters his 14^th season at the helm and boasts a 210-124 overall record at UW-Platteville.

UW-Platteville opens the season on the road at the UW-Superior Classic later this week, with Lawrence up first on Friday, Nov. 11. The Pioneers home opener will be Friday, Nov. 18 when they host Mt. Mercy at 7 p.m.

To follow the Pioneers all season, visit www.Letsgopioneers.com for links to live stats, postgame recaps, and live video. Follow the official social media accounts of Pioneers Athletics on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.