Men's Basketball | 10/31/2025 12:03:00 PM
WIAC Preview
Madison, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's basketball team is predicted to win the 2025-26 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) regular season title in a preseason poll conducted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The poll was announced by the conference office Friday.
UWL, ranked seventh on the D3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll, return seven letter winners and three starters from last year's team. The Eagles finished 25-6 overall and 12-2 in the WIAC last season under head coach
JT Gritzmacher. UWL set a single-season school record with its 25 victories while its 12 league wins were the most since finishing 12-4 in 2006-07. It was the second time since 1982-83 the Eagles won at least 11 conference games in a season.
Dustin Derousseau was named to the 2024-25 All-WIAC Defensive Team.
UWL earned an at-large bid to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.
UW-Platteville, the two-time defending regular season champion, is predicted to finish second in this year's preseason poll. The Pioneers are ranked 18th on the D3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll. UW-Stevens Point is predicted to finish third followed by UW-Eau Claire, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Whitewater, UW-River Falls and UW-Stout.
Gritzmacher starts his third season as UWL's head coach, compiling an overall record of 39-18. He is joined by assistant coaches Kenny Derosiers and
Peter Nycz.
Three starters return who have earned All-WIAC accolades at UWL. Senior
Dustin Derousseau of
Tomah (H.S.) a two-time all-conference selection. Named to the 2024-25 All-WIAC First Team, Derousseau was also selected to the league's all-defensive team. He started all 31 games last season, averaging 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while scoring in double figures in 24 contests. Derousseau, a 2024-24 D3hoops.com All-Region 9 Third Team choice, was named to the 2023-24 All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team.
JJ Paider recorded eight double-doubles last season.
Senior forward
JJ Paider of
Neenah (H.S.) returns after being voted to the 2023-24 and 2024-25 All-WIAC First Team. He started all 31 contests a year ago, averaging 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 53.6% from the field. Scoring in double figures in 22 games, including at least 15 points in 11 contests, recorded eight double-doubles.
Junior guard
Sam Grieger of
Randolph (H.S.) earned D3hoops.com All-Region 9 Second Team and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 9 First Team honors last season. A 2024-25 All-WIAC First Team selection, Grieger averaged 15.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game while starting all 31 contests. He shot 51.2% from the field and scored in double figures in 26 games.
Grieger was named to the D3hoops.com Preseason All-America Second Team on Thursday.
Four other players return in 2025-26, including senior guard
Kade Van Asten of
Little Chute (H.S.), junior forward
Ben Goedheer of
Waukesha (Catholic Memorial) and sophomore guards
Sam Ferge of
Menasha (Fox Valley Lutheran) and
Sean Ladwig of
New Berlin (Catholic Memorial).
Van Asten played in eight games last season while Goedheer appeared in 15 contests, averaging 1.9 points and 1.8 rebounds. Ferge played in six games a year ago with Ladwig playing in four.
The Eagles welcome nine newcomers to the roster.
Sam Grieger earned a pair of all-region honors last season.
The top-six teams in the league standings will qualify for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's). The event will be held February 24, 26, and 28, with all games hosted by the higher-seeded team. The winner of the tournament will receive the league's NCAA Division III automatic bid. The WIAC non-conference schedule starts November 7 with the 14-game league schedule starting January 3.
UWL opens its season Saturday, November 7 against Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) in the TowneBank Tipoff Tournament hosted by Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Eagles' home opener is scheduled for Wednesday, November 26 hosting Saint John's University (Minn.) at 3 p.m.
