MBB Preview: Blue Devils host first place Pioneers Saturday at 3 p.m.

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THIS WEEK'S GAMES: UW-Stout (8-5, 3-2 WIAC)  will host UW-Platteville (9-4, 4-0 WIAC), Saturday, Jan. 11 at 3 p.m. Platteville is currently tied with UW-Stevens Point at the top of the WIAC. This game is the third in a three-game homestand for the Blue Devils.

CAREER STATS:  Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page to check out the UW-Stout career high for points, rebounds, and assists of each Blue Devil player.

 THE BLUE DEVILS (8-5, 3-2 WIAC):  Jimmy Whitehead returned to the lineup Wednesday night after sitting out two games due to injury. Whitehead leads Stout with an 18.7 points per game average. Alex Oman is averaging 13.2 points,while Aaron Jenny is averaging 11.5 points. Jenny leads Stout in rebounds (5.8) and assists (2.3). But Jenny was injured during the Stevens Point game and may miss today's contest. Adam Wadzinski has started the last nine games for Stout. Freshman Brett Ahsenmacher has started to find his range. Over the last three games, Ahsenmacher has scored 9, 11 and 12 points, respectively. Against the Pointers, Ahsenmacher scored all of his points from beyond the arc, hitting 4-of-6 treys. Josh Kosloske is averaging 3.8 ppg and grabbing 4.8 rpg. Debonair Townsend leads the team with 11 blocks. The Blue Devils have nine players who have started at least two games this season. As a team, Stout is outscoring their opponents 66.0-63.1.  Stout also holds an edge when it comes to rebounding, pulling down 36.8 boards per game while opponents are grabbing just 28.2. Stout has outrebounded their opponents in 12 of 13 games this season. |  2013-14 Statistics

STOUT'S LAST TIME OUT: After coming back from an early deficit, the Blue Devils built an 18-9 first half lead andheld the No. 1 ranked UW-Stevens Point team nearly in check, but could not hold on as the Pointers took a 61-60 win, getting the eventual game-winner with 16 seconds remaining Wednesday. Stout's Alex Oman led all scorers with 20 points. Brett Ahsenmacher had 12 points for Stout.  | Story and Stats

SCOUTING UW-PLATTEVILLE (9-4, 4-0 WIAC): After opening WIAC play with three consecutive wins, the Pioneers have split thei last four games, three of them against non-conference opponents. The Pioneers dispatched UW-Oshkosh, UW-River Falls and UW-Eau Claire to open the conference schedule. Platteville lost a two-overtime shootout at Carthage, 112-104, Dec. 4, then split a pair of games in Las Vegas, between Christmas and New Year's, downing George Fox, 98-91, before losing to Whitworth, 84-77. Platteville returned to conference play to defeat UW-Superior, 77-73, Jan. 4. The Pioneers have four players that are averaging in double figures, led by Jim Stocki (15.5 ppg), followed by Chas Cross (13.1), Boston Johnson (12.7) and Eric Gerber (11.3). The Pioneers have had only one lineup in all 13 of their games. Stocki, Cross, Johnson and Gerber are joined by Jake Manning (8.8). Crss is averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds per contest, ranking second in the WIAC. Gerber leads the conference in assists with 5.54. The Pioneers have no problem distributing the ball. Stocki is averaging 2.46 assists, Johnson and Cross, 2.38. The Pioneers are outrebounding their opponents, 34.2-29.2 and are outscoring their foes, 77.7-71.8.  | 2013-14 Statistics

PLATTEVILLE'S LAST TIME OUT: Twenty-nine points by the Pioneers' bench led Platteville past UW-Superior, 77-73, Jan. 4 in Superior. Junior Wes Nemitz led the Pioneers off the bench with a team-high and career-high 19 points, while freshman Cory Vaassen added 10 points. Nemitz went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc and made all four of his free throws. Junior Jim Stocki netted 16 points and senior Chas Cross rounded out the Pioneers top scorers with 12. |  UW-Superior Story and Statistics

WHEN THEY MET LAST YEAR:  UW-Stout took both games last year, winning 64-55 in Platteville in December and 53-50 in Menomonie on Groundhogs Day. In the first meeting, Alex Oman finished with 23 points to lead all scorers. Aaron Jenny scored 13, 11 in the first, and finished the night shooting 6-of-7 from the floor.  In the rematch, the Blue Devils came back from an eight-point second half deficit. Stout's Chris Hortman and Platteville's Chas Cross each scored 17 points. | Game One | Game Two

AWARDS AND HONORS: Alex Oman was selected as the WIAC player of the week, Dec. 10...Jimmy Whitehead was the WIAC and the UW-Stout Northwestern Mutual player of the week, Dec. 3.

TEAM CAPTAINS:  Blue Devil team captains for the 2013-14 season are Aaron Jenny and Jimmy Whitehead.

THE COACHES:  UW-Stout:  Eddie Andrist (170-162 at Stout, 424-357 overall) is in his 14th year as the coach of the Blue Devils, and his 24th 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-Platteville: Jeff Gard is in his fifth year as head coach at Platteville.  He has won 64 games in his first four seasons at the helm of the Pioneers and is the most in school history in a coach's first four years. Gard was an assistant with the Pioneers before being named head coach.

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

UP NEXT: The Blue Devils close their four-game homestand when they host UW-La Crosse, Wednesday, Jan. 15. Stout will be at UW-Oshkosh, Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.


UW-Stout 2013-14 Season Highs (Updated Jan. 9, 2014)

Points: 29, Jimmy Whitehead vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013
3-Pointers Made: 4, Brett Ahsenmacher vs. UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 8, 2014;
Rebounds: 12, Aaron Jenny vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 5, Aaron Jenny vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013; Jay Higgins vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013
Steals: 5, Aaron Jenny vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013


UW-Stout Career Bests (updated Jan. 9, 2014)

Phil Freeman - #4
Points: 12 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013
Rebounds: 4 vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 1 (2x) vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013; vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013

Aaron Jenny - #5
Points: 24 vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013
Rebounds: 12 vs. Crown College, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 5 vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013; 4 (3x) vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013;  vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Platteville, Dec. 10, 2011

AJ Dubek - #10
Points: 4 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: 1 vs. Concordia Wisconsin, Dec. 30, 2012

Jarvis Ragland - #11
Points: 21 vs. Macalester, Nov. 18, 2011
Rebounds: 9 (2x) vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Dec. 29, 2011; vs. Whitewater, Jan. 19, 2013
Assists: 3 (2x) vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011; vs. UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 12, 2013

Hank Kujak - #12
Points: 12 vs. Wartburg College, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 5 (3x) vs. Plattsburgh State, Dec. 30, 2013; vs. Stevens Point, Feb. 15, 2012; vs Wartburg College, Dec. 1, 2013
Assists: 3 (2x) vs. UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 8, 2014;  vs. Eau Claire, Feb. 11, 2012

Brett Ahsenmacher - #13
Points: 14 vs. Luther College, Nov. 25, 2013
Rebounds: 4 vs. Plattsburgh State, Dec. 30,, 2013
Assists: 1 (2x) vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2014;  vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013

Alex Oman - #14
Points: 28 (2x) vs. UW-Oshkosh, Feb. 18, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Feb. 1, 2012
Rebounds: 10 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, Dec. 29, 2011
Assists: 6 vs. Northland, Nov. 24, 2012

Josh Watton - #15
Points: x
Rebounds: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: x

Michael Tesch - #21
Points: 2 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: 1 (2x) vs. Plattsburgh State, Dec. 30, 2013; vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013

Jimmy Whitehead - #24
Points: 29 vs. UW-River Falls, Dec. 11, 2013
Rebounds: 8 vs. Crown, Nov. 16, 2013
Assists: 4 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013

Reggie Kujak - #31
Points: 2 vs. Ashford University, Jan. 26, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. UW-Stevens Point, Jan. 9, 2013
Assists:

Jacob Nordstrom - #32
Points: 2 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 1 vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013
Assists: x

Jay Higgins - #33
Points: 10 vs. Winona State, Nov. 29, 2011
Rebounds: 13 vs. Concordia-Texas, Dec. 30, 2011
Assists: 5 vs. Mount Mercy, Nov. 15, 2013

Josh Kosloske - #34
Points: 16 vs. St. Scholastica, Nov. 16, 2012
Rebounds: 15 vs. UW-La Crosse, Jan. 18, 2012
Assists: 2 (4x) vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2014; vs UW-Oshkosh, Jan. 14, 2012; vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 7, 2011; vs. Bethel, Nov. 19, 2013

Adam Wadzinski - #35
Points: 8 vs. Wartburg, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 6 vs. UW-Eau Claire, Jan. 4, 2014
Assists: 4 vs. Ashford, Nov. 30, 2013

Braxtyn Meyer - #42
Points: 1 vs. Bethel University, Nov. 19, 2013
Rebounds: 2 vs. Bethel University, Nov. 18, 2013
Assists: x

Debonair Townsend - #44
Points: 9 vs. Wartburg, Dec. 1, 2013
Rebounds: 9 vs. La Crosse, Dec. 8, 2010
Assists: 1 (5x) vs. Millikin, Dec. 28, 2013; vs. UW-Superior, Dec. 5, 2013; vs. La Crosse, Dec. 9, 2010; vs. Viterbo, Dec 18, 2010; vs. Superior, Feb. 9, 2011

Tim Butina - #45
Points: 13 vs. UW-Whitewater, Jan. 21, 2012
Rebounds: 13 vs. Northland, Nov. 24, 2012
Assists: 2 (4x) vs. Robert Morris, Nov. 27, 2011; vs. Northland College, Nov. 26, 2011; vs. Winona State, Nov. 16, 2009; vs. Waldorf, Nov. 20, 2009

The Last Time...(updated Jan. 9, 2014)

A Stout Individual...
Scored 30+ points:  34, Jerrod Buchholtz vs. UW-River Falls (1/5/2011)
Scored 25-29 points:  29, Jimmy Whitehead vs. UW-River Falls (12/11/13)
Recorded 15+ rebounds:  15, Josh Kosloske vs UW-La Crosse (1/18/12)
Recorded 10+ assists:  11, Erik Olson vs. UW-Stevens Point (2/13/13)
Recorded 6+ steals:  8, by Jerrel Enerson-Matthews vs. Bethany Lutheran (11/21/08)

A Stout Team...
Had five players score in double digits:  vs. Luther College, Nov. 25, 2013 - Jimmy Whitehead (24), Aaron Jenny (19), Brett Ahsenmacher (14), Alex Oman (11), Josh Kosloske (11).
Had four players score in double digits:  vs. UW-Whitewater, Dec. 7, 2013 - Alex Oman (20), Jimmy Whitehead (19), Josh Kosloske (12), Aaron Jenny (12).
Scored 105+ points:  109, vs. Crown College (2/15/11)
Scored 100-104 points:  102 vs. Silver Lake College (2/17/2010)
Recorded 60+ rebounds:  64, vs. Concordia-Texas (12/11/2011)
Recorded 55-59 rebounds:  56 vs. Northland College (11/24/12)
Recorded 25+ assists:  25, vs. Silver Lake College (2/17/2010)
Won 10 or more games in a row:  10, 2005-06 season
Lost 5 or more games in a row:  7, 2011-12 season
Was held to 40 or fewer points in game: 40, vs. Plattsburgh State (12/30/13)