Pioneers Picked Fourth In WIAC Preseason Poll
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The 2023-2024 WIAC Preseason Poll was released on Thursday with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men’s basketball picked to finish fourth according to the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – The 2023-2024 WIAC Preseason Poll was released on Thursday with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's basketball picked to finish fourth according to the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
UW-Whitewater was selected to finish atop the conference after being ranked No. 2 nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll. Defending WIAC regular season champion UW-Oshkosh was picked for second, while UW-La Crosse rounded out the top three. After UW-Platteville in fourth, UW-River Falls, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Stout rounded out the poll in that order.
Head Coach Jeff Gard returns for his 15th season at the helm for the Pioneers, boasting a coaching record of 224-136. Twelve letterwinners, including five starters, return from a team that went 14-12 and 7-7 in the WIAC a year ago.
Senior Logan Pearson, who was recently named to the D3hoops.com All-America fourth team, highlights the returners for the Pioneers. Pearson made both the All-WIAC and All-Defensive teams last year and paced the conference with 20.2 points per game. The forward led UW-Platteville in several other categories, including rebounds (5.7) and assists (2.8) per game.
Senior Ben Probst returners as the second scoring option for UW-Platteville after finishing second on the team with 12.4 points per game. The guard is the top three-point shooter for the Pioneers, connecting on 39.8 percent of his attempts.
Senior forward Brad Nies and junior guard Brady Olson are also back from last year's starting lineup. Nies set career-highs in points (6.7) and rebounds (5.0) per game while Olson added 8.3 points and 2.3 assists per game in his second year with the program.
Sophomore Max Love looks to take a step forward for the team after averaging 4.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game off the bench. Love gives the Pioneers a forward with the ability to stretch the floor after hitting multiple threes in a game four times last season.
The Pioneers begin the 2023-2024 season on Friday, November 10 when they host Saint Mary's (Minn.) for the annual Gabe Miller Classic at 7 p.m. Conference play begins on January 3 at UW-Eau Claire.
The full WIAC release can be found HERE.