MBB Preview: Stout travels to UW-Whitewater for WIAC Semifinal

GAME COVERAGE: Live Stats | WMEQ Radio

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The Blue Devils (20-6) will take their postseason show on the road, Thursday, Feb. 21, when they travel to UW-Whitewater (21-4) for a 7 p.m. WIAC Semifinal matchup. The game, which is the third meeting of the season between the two clubs, will be available via live stats and WMEQ Radio. The #2-seeded Warhawks defeated the #3-seeded Blue Devils in both of their meetings during the regular season.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: UW-Whitewater was ranked ninth in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll. Stout, which was ranked as high as 23rd earlier in the season, again received votes, but did not crack the top 25.

WIAC CHAMPIONSHIP: The WIAC's top six teams during the regular season advance to the WIAC Tournament. (#1) UW-Stevens Point and (#2) UW-Whitewater received first round byes, while (#5) UW-Platteville defeated (#4) UW-La Crosse on Tuesday. Platteville will travel to Stevens Point on Thursday, with the semifinal winners meeting Saturday, Feb. 23. | WIAC Men's Basketball Championship Website

EDDIE ANDRIST INTERVIEWS: Throughout the season, Jimmie Kaska of Sports Radio 1400 AM will speak with men's basketball head coach Eddie Andrist. Listed are each of the interviews throughout the season. This week's Interview  |  Listen to Interviews

WEBCASTS: All WIAC tournament playoff games, home or away, will not be available in a live video stream due to regulations established by the conference.

NEWSLETTER: During the season, the Blue Devil coaching staff produces a newsletter offering additional insight into the programs. You can download the latest newsletter here.

THIS WEEK BY THE NUMBERS
1 of 5	Of the five seasons in which Stout and Whitewater have met three times, Whitewater has won all three meetings only once (2008).
16	Number of assists needed by Erik Olson to break Stout's single-season assist record (180, set in 1975 by Bill Rozakis).
5-1	All-time record of #2 seeds against #3 seeds in WIAC Tournament history.
4-1	All-time record of Whitewater against Stout in WIAC Tournament history.

THE BLUE DEVILS (20-6): UW-Stout took care of business, Tuesday, defeating UW-Superior, 78-64, in their quarterfinal matchup of the WIAC Tournament. With the win, Stout improved to 4-0 all-time at home in WIAC tournament games and survived to see a semifinal game on Thursday. It took Stout about 36 minutes to get things going against Superior, but a 13-2 run to close the game gave them a comfortable margin of victory. In the three games against Superior this season, Stout won by consistent totals of 14, 14, and 15 points. Stout allowed Superior to shoot 47 percent from the field, Tuesday night, higher than their average allowance this season, and were out-rebounded by the 'Jackets, 39-30, a shocking result given Superior's rebounding struggles throughout the season. In the end, however, it was Superior's turnovers and missed free throws that cost them the game. The Yellowjackets shot just 11-of-24 (.458) from the line and turned the ball over 19 times compared to Stout, who did so only six times. Chris Hortman scored 19 second-half points and Josh Kosloske recorded seven points, three rebounds, and a steal in the final four minutes to punch Stout's ticket to the next round...The Blue Devils shot over 30 percent from beyond the arc for the second straight game, Tuesday, after failing to do so in their previous four. In their past two games, Stout is 12-of-34 (.353) from three, after going a combined 7-for-56 (.125) in their previous four contests...Aside from their few relapses such as Tuesday night, Stout has been dominant on the boards all season, maintaining a WIAC-best rebounding margin of +7.0. The Blue Devils also boast one of the nation's best defenses, which ranks second among DIII teams in scoring defense (56.3 ppg) and eighth in field goal percentage allowed (.379)...Erik Olson has had an historic season from the point guard position. Earlier this year, he surpassed Jeremy Leibfried's all-time Stout assist record of 358, and continues to increase his new record at a rapid pace. Now he has his sights set on Bill Rozakis' 38-year old single-season assist record of 180. Olson dished out seven assists on Saturday and is now 16 dimes short of another Stout record. Olson's assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.13 is one of the best in all of DIII, and his 6.38 assists per game lead the WIAC by a healthy margin...Chris Hortman has evolved into Stout's number one scoring option over the second half of the season. Hortman has had at least a share of the team lead in scoring in 13 of the last 14 games, and just recently passed Alex Oman for the team's leading scorer, although the margin is slim. Hortman's average of 14.7 points is third best in the conference while Oman's 14.4 points rank him fourth. Hortman not only leads the team in scoring now, but also pulls down a team-high 5.6 rebounds per contest. Together, Oman and Hortman combine to take over 45 percent of Stout's field goal attempts, and collectively provide 44 percent of Stout's points...Jarvis Ragland, who is best recognized from his rim-rocking dunks, ranks third in scoring with an average of 9.8 points per game, while Aaron Jenny is averaging 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. | 2012-13 Statistics

STOUT'S WIAC TOURNAMENT HISTORY: In the tournament's 14-year history, Stout's overall record in WIAC Tournament games is 7-11, including Tuesday's win over Superior. In semifinal matchups, they are 2-2, with both wins coming on the road; at Stevens Point in 2006, and at Oshkosh in 1999, which was the inaugural WIAC Tournament. Stout is 1-4 all-time against Whitewater in WIAC Tournament games. Their lone win against the Warhawks came in 2000 when, seeded eighth, they destroyed top-seeded Whitewater, 90-49. | All-time WIAC Tournament Results

#2 AND #3 SEED HISTORY: #2 seeds are 10-2 all-time in WIAC semifinal matchups, and have won the last nine such games. Specifically against the #3 seed, #2 seeds are 5-1 all-time and have won the last five. The only #3 seed to knock off a #2 seed was UW-Whitewater, who did so in 2002 with a victory at UW-Stevens Point. No team seeded third has ever won the WIAC Tournament, while a #2 seed has hoisted the trophy four times, including twice in the past three years (River Falls in 2012; Stevens Point in 2010).

STOUT'S LAST TIME OUT:  With four minutes left to play, UW-Stout put together a 13-2 run to put away UW-Superior, 78-64, Tuesday night in a WIAC Championship Quarterfinal matchup at Johnson Fieldhouse. With a lead of just three points, Stout's Josh Kosloske scored six straight points to push the lead to nine before the Blue Devils used free throws to secure their trip to Whitewater on Thursday. Kosloske tallied seven points, three rebounds and a steal in the final four minutes of play to help put away the 'Jackets. The 14-point final margin was little indication of how close the game was throughout. Superior held a lead for a good chunk of the first half and Stout's lead only hit double digits twice before the final two minutes of play. Superior jumped out to an 11-7 lead, five and a half minutes into the game behind seven points from Jarrod Peterson, who tied Chris Hortman with a game-high 21 points. Peterson scored all nine of his first-half points in the game's first seven minutes, and Hortman scored 19 of his points in the second half. Late in the game, Superior reeled off an 18-11 run that brought them within three points with four minutes to play. That is when Stout's defense put their feet in the ground and went on a 10-0 run to put the game away for good, completing the three-game season sweep of Superior. | Story and Stats

PLAYERS TO WATCH
UW-Stout
#4 - Erik Olson, PG, 5-10, 160	16 assists shy of single-season record
#3 - Chris Hortman, F, 6-3, 190	21 ppg over last 4 games; team-high 5.6 rpg
UW-Whitewater
#10 - Quardell Young, G, 6-0	12.1 ppg, 3.72 apg, WIAC-high 1.96 steals/g
#23 - Darnell Harris, F, 6-7	11 ppg; 16 2nd-half pts against Stout in Jan.

SCOUTING UW-WHITEWATER (21-4): UW-Whitewater, who won the national championship last year, are back into the top 10 in the national rankings after winning seven straight games to close the regular season. The Warhawks were ranked ninth in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, ahead of UW-Stevens Point, despite finishing behind them in WIAC regular season play, including two head-to-head losses. Whitewater uses a very balanced yet powerful offensive attack to run past their opponents. Five Warhawks score at least nine points per game, three of which average at least 11. Whitewater scores a conference-best 71.2 points per game and also play stingy defense, forcing a league-high 15.7 turnovers per game. They forced Stout into 17 turnovers in January, a number Stout has not reached since. Whitewater's biggest weakness has been defending the three, where they rank last in the conference, allowing their opponents to shoot over 38 percent from beyond the arc. Quardell Young leads the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game and also directs the offense, dishing out 3.72 assists per game, trailing only Stout's Erik Olson in the WIAC. Young also leads the conference with 1.96 steals per game. Luke Knoble and Darnell Harris trail Young, each contributing 11 points per game, while Eric Bryson and KJ Evans add 9.9 and 9.2 points per game, respectively. Evans played hero for the Warhawks when they came to Johnson Fieldhouse in December, scoring the final six points of the game for Whitewater, including a four-point play that all but sealed the victory. It was Harris who provided the heroics against Stout in Whitewater, scoring all of his game-high 16 points in the second half, in which he hit five three-pointers to edge the surging Blue Devils. | 2012-13 Statistics

UW-WHITEWATER'S LAST TIME OUT: UW-Whitewater closed their regular season with its seventh straight win, a 72-69 decision over UW-River Falls at Kachel Gym. The Warhawks jumped out to the first lead and led the entire first half. Whitewater's lead reached as high as 15 in the first half before taking a 37-27 lead into halftime. River Falls put up a fight in the second half, and a 10-0 run tied the game at 48, midway through the period. The Falcons led for a good chunk of the next seven or eight minutes before the Warhawks grabbed the lead for good with 2:30 remaining. Arik Smith hit a three to pull RF within one point with 12 seconds to play, but missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime. Smith led River Falls with 21 points while Eric Bryson scored 17 points to lead Whitewater. | Story and Stats

THE SERIES: UW-Whitewater leads the series, 71-43. Whitewater has won five of the last seven and 14 of the last 16 games against Stout, including both of their regular season meetings this season. Whitewater is 4-1 all-time against Stout in WIAC Tournament games, with their only loss coming in 2001 when #8-seeded Stout handed #1-seeded Whitewater a 90-49 upset. Of the five seasons in which Whitewater and Stout have met three times, Whitewater has won all three games only once.

STOUT VS. WHITEWATER THIS SEASON: UW-Whitewater defeated Stout in both of their regular season matchups this year, but neither was a walk in the park for the Warhawks. Both games featured competive play throughout, with Whitewater hitting the crucial shots when they needed them most. In December, a seven point swing by Whitewater in the final minute doomed the Blue Devils in a 64-58 loss, which was their first loss of the season. Whitewater's Eric Bryson hit a three with 55 seconds remaining to put the Warhawks up, 58-53. On the ensuing possesion, Keith Rash came up with a three of his own to pull Stout within two. The dagger came with 15 seconds to go when KJ Evans completed a rare four-point play to put his team up by six. | Story and Stats | When Stout traveled to Whitewater in January, it was Darnell Harris who provided the heroics for the Warhawks, scoring all of his game-high 16 points in the second half, including five three-pointers down the stretch. Just like they did in December, Stout built a lead throughout the first half, fueled by eight early points from Alex Oman. However, exactly like Whitewater did at Johnson Fieldhouse, they slowly mounted a comeback. A 5-0 run at the 15-minute mark and a 6-0 run midway through the period, each featuring a three-pointer from Harris, gave Whitewater a 35-34 advantage, their first lead since they were up, 2-0. A 7-2 run by Stout gave them a 45-43 lead with seven minutes to go. Minutes later, Harris hit threes on back-to-back possessions, and the advantage went back to Whitewater, 51-47. From there, Stout was only able to get within two points, and came up empty on a desparation three-pointer at the buzzer. | Story and Stats

	Stout	Whitewater	Whitewater	Stout
	Dec. 1, Menomonie, Wis.		Jan. 19, Whitewater, Wis.
Score	58	64	58	55
FG	.357	.353	.447	.340
3-pt FG	.400	.381	.286	.412
Free Throws	.571	.800	.581	.609
Rebounds	36	38	26	37
Turnovers	10	11	13	17
Leading Scorer	Oman, Rash (14)	Evans (13)	Harris (16)	Hortman, Oman (13)

THE COACHES:  UW-Stout:  Eddie Andrist (167-159 at Stout, 415-350 overall) is in his 13th year as the coach of the Blue Devils, and his 23rd overall in the collegiate ranks.  Andrist led the Blue Devils to their first NCAA Division III appearance five seasons ago when Stout advanced to the second round. Andrist coached at Mount Senario for 11 seasons and won three national championships. Andrist spent two stints coaching international basketball, working with the country of Qatar. | UW-Whitewater: Pat Miller is in his 11th season as the Warhawks' head coach. Miller, who has won WIAC Coach of the Year four times, has the highest winning percentage of any coach in the program's history (.763). Miller's teams have finished no worse than fourth in the conference in his 10 seasons at Whitewater.

CONFERENCES: Stout and Whitewater are both members of the nine-team Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) along with UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls, UW-Stevens Point, and UW-Superior.

UP NEXT: With a win, Stout will play in the WIAC Championship game, Saturday, Feb. 23, with an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII Championships rewarded to the winner. They would either play at UW-Stevens Point or host UW-Platteville, depending on the winner of Thursday's game between those two clubs. With a loss against Whitewater, Stout will need an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament for their season to extend.