WIAC Men's Basketball Preview

Madison, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team is predicted to finish fifth in the 2018-19 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) standings in a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.  The preseason poll was announced by the conference office Tuesday.

UW-Oshkosh, the NCAA Division III runner-up from last season, is the preseason choice to win the WIAC title. The Titans, ranked second nationally in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll, return four starters from last year's squad that established a school record with 25 wins. 

UW-Platteville is slotted for second in this year's eight-team league race. The Pioneers are followed by UW-Stevens Pooint, UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse, UW-River Falls, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout.  

UW-La Crosse finished 13-13 overall and 5-9 in the WIAC last season, losing 78-76 at UW-Oshkosh in the first round of the conference tournament. The Eagles lost six games by three points or less last year. UWL led the WIAC in steals (9.08 per game), turnover margin (+3.08), turnovers forced per game (16.3) while ranking second in offensive rebounds (10.5) in 2017-18.

UWL's 236 steals last year ranks second in single-season school history.  The Eagles recorded double digit steals in 11 games in 2017-18, including a season-high 17 at UW-Whitewater on February 17 that clinched a bid to the WIAC Championship.

Kent Dernbach was named UW-La Crosse head coach on March 12, 2018 after serving as the Eagles' interim head coach for the 2017-18 season. He served as UW-Stevens Point's associate head coach from 2011-17 and was the Pointers' interim head coach for the last 13 games of the 2016-17 campaign, leading the team to an 8-5 record. 

The Eagles return 11 letter winners, including three starters from a year ago. Senior forward Ben Meinholz of Oconomowoc (Marquette University) and senior guards Brendon Manning of Cedar Rapids, Iowa (Kennedy) and Taulvish McCray of Neenah (H.S.) each earned All-WIAC honors a year ago. Meinholz was named to the 2017-18 All-WIAC First Team after being selected to the 2015-16 and 2016-17 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Teams. Manning and McCray were both selected to the 2017-18 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team, their first career accolades. McCray was also named to the 2017-18 All-WIAC Defensive Team.

A starter in 21 of 23 games played last season, Meinholz led UWL in scoring (14.3), steals (2.6), blocks (14), field goals made (124) and attempted (264) and free throws made (63) and attempted (82). He led the WIAC in steals while ranking fifth in blocks, eighth in scoring, ninth in assists, 12th in field goal shooting (47.0%), 13th in free throw shooting (76.8%) and 15th in rebounding (4.3). 

Scoring in double figures in 18 of 23 games in 2017-18, Meinholz finished with a season-high 24 points at UW-Stevens Point on January 10 and at UW-Oshkosh on February 21 in the first round of the WIAC Championship. He recorded his first career double-double with 17 points and season-high 10 rebounds versus UW-Stout on February 14. Recording at least three assists in 11 different games, Meinholz finished with a season-high six assists versus city-rival Viterbo University (Wis.) November 18. He finished with at least three steals in 11 contests, including a career-high eight at UW-Whitewater on February 17. The eight steals tied the single-game school record of Bob Zenz against Winona State University (Minn.) on December 13, 1986 and Willie Arnold versus Saint Mary's University (Minn.) on November 20, 1987.

Playing in 75 career games, including 72 starts, Meinholz ranks 17th in school history with 992 points. He is UWL's career leader in steals (178) with his 59 steals in 2017-18 ranking third in single-season school history. Meinholz has three of the top-five single-season marks in steals after finishing with 61 (second-most) in 2015-16 and 58 (tied fourth) in 2016-17.

Manning started all 26 games in 2017-18, leading UWL in rebounding (7.0) and finishing second in scoring (9.4) while shooting 52.9% (90-of-170) from the field. He was second on the team in blocks (9) and third in steals (35) while finishing tied for third in assists (24). Manning ranked fourth in the WIAC in rebounding, fifth in steals (1.4), sixth in field goal shooting (52.9%), 12th in free throw shooting (76.9%) and 13th in blocks (0.4).  

He scored in double figures in 13 games last season, including a career-high 17 points versus UW-Stevens Point on January 27. Manning was seven-of-nine from the field, including one-of-one from three-point range, and two-of-two at the free throw line against the Pointers while also grabbing eight rebounds. He finished with 16 points versus UW-Oshkosh January 6 and 15 points against UW-Whitewater January 20.

Finishing with at least 10 rebounds in five games, Manning had a career-high 12 rebounds at Viterbo (Wis.) November 18 and versus Bethel University (Minn.) November 25. He recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Lynchburg University (Va.) on December 30.

McCray also started all 26 games last year for the Eagles, leading UWL in assists (2.5) and tying for the team lead in three-point field goals made (36). He finished second in steals (1.5) and third in scoring (8.8) while shooting a team-best 43.9% (36-of-82) from three-point range. McCray shot 78.0% (32-of-41) at the free throw line. He was second in the WIAC in steals behind Meinholz was finishing fourth in three-point shooting, seventh in assists and 15th in three-point field goals made per game (1.38). 

He scored in double figures in 10 contests a year ago, including a career-high 20 points versus Lynchburg (Va.) December 30. McCray had a career-high six three-point field goals in the game. He scored 19 points at UW-Eau Claire on January 3 and 16 versus UW-Stout February 14. McCray had at least one three-point field goal in 18 games in 2017-18. He finished with a career-high eight rebounds against Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (N.J.) December 29.
  
Recording at least one steal in 22 of 26 games, McCray is the third player in school history to be selected to the All-WIAC Defensive Team, which was started in 2012-13. Lucas Morrissey was named to the 2012-13 team while Jared Staege earned the award in 2015-16. McCray had a career-high six steals versus UW-River Falls on January 17. McCray had at least three assists in 13 games, tying his career-high with six against UW-Whitewater January 20. He also had six assists versus the Warhawks.  

Eight other letter winners return in 2018-19, including senior guards Tanner Bruchs of Poynette (H.S.) and Sam Skoyen of Hastings, Minn. (H.S.), junior guards Mason DeNoyer of Sun Prairie (Lakeside Lutheran), Luke Norcia of Highland Park, Ill. (H.S.), junior forwards Jack Kortes of Prior Lake, Minn. (H.S.) and Terek Nesheim of Mount Horeb (H.S.) and sophomore forwards Wyatt Cook of Pewaukee (H.S.) and Colton Homan of Waupun (H.S.). 

Bruchs played in 24 games a year ago with 17 starts while finishing fourth on the team in scoring at 8.2 points per game. He tied for the team lead in three-point field goals made (36) while leading in attempts (104). Bruchs scored in double figures in 10 games, including a season-high 17 vs. FDU-Florham (N.J.) on December 29. Skoyen appeared in all 26 games, averaging 6.3 points. He scored a season-high 13 points vs. UW-Oshkosh on Janaury 6.

Nesheim played in 25 games with seven starts last season while averaging 4.8 points. Kortes appeared in 24 games last season with 2.9 points per game while Norcia appeared in 21 contests. Cook played in 12 games while Homan appeared in six and DeNoyer five.

The Eagles open their 2018-19 season Sunday, November 11 hosting Saint Mary's University (Minn.).