Lawrence junior guard Ryan Kroeger (right) was honored as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) released its men’s basketball All-District Teams for the 2007-08 season. Kroeger was one of six players named to the All-Midwest District First Team and the lone representative from the Midwest Conference.

Kroeger (17.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.4 apg), the 2007-08 MWC Player of the Year, led the Vikings to the 2007-08 MWC Championship and the 2008 MWC Tournament title.

NABC All-Midwest District Team

Midwest Conference student-athletes occupied five of the 15 slots on the D3Hoops.com 2007-08 All-Midwest Region Men's Basketball Team.

The selections were headlined by Lawrence junior guard Ryan Kroeger (right), the 2007-08 MWC Player of the Year, who was a first-team pick and will now appear on the All-American ballot. Kroeger ranked sixth or better in the MWC this season in scoring (17.3 ppg), field-goal percentage (.554), free throw percentage (.863) and three-point field-goal percentage (.466) en route to leading the Vikings to the MWC title and conference tourney crown.

Grinnell junior guard John Grotberg (left) and Beloit junior center Andy Horton were both second-team honorees. Grotberg is in line to be NCAA Division III’s leading scorer this season after averaging an MWC-best 28.1 points per game this year. Horton averaged 17.9 points per game and led the conference in rebounding at 9.7 rebounds per game.

Carroll junior guard Wes Ladwig (right) and Ripon freshman guard Scott Gillespie rounded out the MWC’s selections after being named to the All-Midwest Region Third Team. Ladwig averaged 22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game to lead the Pioneers this season. Gillespie averaged 5.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds per contest, while finishing second in the nation in scoring (21.2 ppg) among freshman in Division III.

D3Hoops.com All-Midwest Region Team

The Lawrence men’s basketball fell to Wheaton (IL) 93-83 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Whitewater, Wisconsin on Friday, March 7. The Vikings close the year at 22-3 overall, while Wheaton (20-7) advances to face Loras in Whitewater on Saturday.

Lawrence would not trail in the first half after falling behind 2-0 on the game’s first bucket, but a Viking lead that grew to as many as 11 points shrunk into a 34-33 halftime advantage. Lawrence controlled the pace early in the second half as well, as the squad took a 49-41 lead with 13:43 remaining in the game on a Ryan Kroeger (21 points) three-pointer. Wheaton continued to keep things close, before finally breaking through with a run that gave the Thunder a 62-56 lead with 5:36 left in the contest. This time Lawrence answered, scoring six straight points to mark the first of five ties that occurred in the final 3:34 of regulation, including a jumper from Wheaton All-American Kent Raymond with five seconds remaining that knotted the game at 71-71 and forced overtime.

Raymond took over in the extra session, scoring 13 of his teams 22 points, as the Thunder made 13-of-14 free throws in the final 1:12 to pull away. Four Vikings scored in double-figures in the contest, including Andy Hurley (16 points), Chris Page (15 points) and Ben Rosenblatt (11 points).

Lawrence’s men’s basketball team squares off against Wheaton (IL) tonight in a first round NCAA Tournament game in Kachel Gym on the campus of UW-Whitewater in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The contest, which is slated for a 6 p.m. tip, can be heard on the internet via Wheaton’s WETN, while live stats will also be available (links to both below).The winner faces either UW-Whitewater or Loras at 7 p.m. on Saturday in Whitewater.

The Vikings (22-2, 15-1) are led by junior guard and 2007-08 Midwest Conference Player of the Year Ryan Kroeger (17.3 ppg, right). Senior forward Andy Hurley (12.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg) and senior guard Ben Rosenblatt (8.2 ppg) provide veteran leadership, as both played key roles during Lawrence’s last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005-06.

First-year Lawrence head coach Joel DePagter (left) will look to add his first NCAA Tournament victory to his resume during a season of firsts, which included becoming the first coach since 1957 to win the MWC title in his inaugural season, as well as the first rookie coach to win the conference tourney.

Wheaton (19-7, 9-5) counters with All-American guard Kent Raymond (23.5 ppg), the 2007-08 CCIW Player of the Year. Head coach Bill Harris will be making his fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and his second against an MWC squad after a 131-117 win over Grinnell in 1996.

The last meeting between the MWC and CCIW in the postseason occurred a year ago when Carroll won at Augustana (73-69) in the first round of NCAA tourney.

Click here for WETN audio broadcast

Click here for Live Stats

The 2007-08 Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball All-Conference Teams and yearly award winners have been revealed after the league coaches completed their voting following the league tourney.

Lawrence junior guard Ryan Kroeger (right) was named the MWC Men’s Basketball Player of the Year after leading the Vikings to the 2007-08 MWC Championship and 2008 MWC Tournament title. Entering the team’s first round NCAA Tournament game, Kroeger has guided the Vikings to a 22-2 overall record and a 15-1 mark in conference action. The 6-2 junior becomes the fifth MWC Player of the Year in school history and is the first underclassmen to win the award since former teammate Chris Braier was honored as a sophomore in 2003-04.

Knox head coach Tim Heimann (left) was named the MWC Coach of the Year in his 24th and final season on the bench for the Prairie Fire. Knox closed the 2007-08 season with an 8-15 overall record and a 7-9 mark in conference play that was good for a share of fifth place. The Prairie Fire were picked to finish ninth in the conference preseason poll after winning three conference games in 2006-07 and graduating their lone All-MWC selection.

2007-08 All-Conference/Award Winners

Lawrence (22-2, 15-1) will head south to Whitewater, Wisconsin for its 2008 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round contest, as the Vikings will face Wheaton (IL) on UW-Whitewater’s home court on Friday, March 7. The winner of the contest will remain in Whitewater to face the winner of UW-Whitewater vs. Loras on Saturday, March 8. The game will tipoff at 6 p.m. on Friday, while Saturday's regional final is slated for a 7 p.m. start.

Lawrence is making its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance overall and its fourth in the last five seasons. Joel DePagter’s (right) Vikings won the 2007-08 MWC Championship with a 15-1 record in conference play and followed that accomplishment with an MWC Tournament title over the weekend to claim the conference’s automatic berth to the 2008 NCAA tourney. Lawrence won the MWC’s regular-season and tourney crowns in 2004, 2005 and 2006 as well, en route to a 5-3 NCAA tourney record that included Elite Eight and Sweet 16 runs in 2004 and 2006, respectively. MWC squads have advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons.

Wheaton (IL) enters the NCAA Tournament as an at-large Pool C team from the CCIW. The Thunder own an overall record of 19-7 and posted a 9-5 mark in conference play this season. The Vikings and Thunder did not face any common opponents this season.

Lawrence was 0-1 against NCAA tourney qualifiers, as the Vikings fell on the road to UW-Stevens Point in early December.

The MWC posted an overall record of 0-8 against non-conference NCAA Tournament qualifiers in 2007-08.

Click here for NCAA Tournament Bracket

#1 Lawrence 98, #3 Carroll 95 (OT) – It seemed unlikely that Saturday’s 2008 MWC Tournament final between No. 1 seed and host Lawrence and No. 3 Carroll could top the previous day’s semifinal matchups after both games were decided in the final 20 seconds of regulation. The Vikings and Pioneers did just that however, as the teams hooked up for their second overtime contest on Lawrence’s home court this season. This time though, Lawrence prevailed at home, scoring a 98-95 victory that gave the team its fourth MWC tourney title in five seasons and lifted its record to 10-0 at home in MWC tourney games. Carroll led 55-40 at the 18:08 mark in the second half, before Lawrence answered with a 20-4 run that was highlighted by a John Dekker three-pointer that put Lawrence back on top 60-59. After going back-and-forth for the rest of regulation, Carroll forced the extra session with Wes Ladwig’s layup to tie the game at 83-83 with 16 seconds left in regulation. The Vikings scored nine of their 15 overtime points at the free throw line, including six points from Ryan Kroeger (right). Kroeger scored 27 points to lead Lawrence, while Ladwig’s game-high 30 points paced Carroll.

Lawrence receives the conference’s automatic berth to the 2008 NCAA Tournament and will find out its first round opponent and location at noon on Monday, March 3.

#3 Carroll 124, #2 Grinnell 122 – Carroll forward Nate Zimmerman (right) tipped the scales in Carroll’s favor for good in Friday’s 2008 MWC Tournament semifinal between No. 3 Carroll and No. 2 Grinnell, as the junior’s putback on a missed runner by John Hoch with 3.8 seconds remaining in the game lifted Carroll to the victory. David Arseneault’s last second shot for Grinnell rimmed out, but was waived off by the officials, vaulting Carroll into its third straight MWC tourney title game. Zimmerman’s tip was the final swing in a back-and-forth contest that featured 10 ties and four lead changes in the second half alone. Hoch was the catalyst for Carroll throughout the evening, tallying 34 points and 13 assists in 35 minutes of action. Grinnell guard John Grotberg tallied a game-high 36 points, while teammate Bobby Long added 27 points. Zimmerman’s final basketball gave him 10 points in the game and made him the seventh Carroll player to reach double-figures on the night. Grinnell ends the year at 15-8 overall, while Carroll improves to 16-8 entering Saturday’s 3 p.m. MWC Tournament final against top seed and host Lawrence.

#1 Lawrence 59, #4 St. Norbert 58 – St. Norbert appeared to be on the verge of ending Lawrence’s home unbeaten streak in MWC Tournament games in the second semifinal, but Ryan Kroeger’s (right) three-pointer with 11.3 seconds remaining lifted the Vikings past the Green Knights 59-58. Lawrence led 52-47 at the nine-minute mark in the second half, but both teams struggled offensively the rest of the way and the Green Knights were able to claw back and take a 57-56 lead on Eric Bieniasz’s three-pointer with 38 seconds left in the game. Andy Hurley, who tallied game-highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds, was unable to connect on Lawrence’s next possession and Bryan Fleischmann added a free throw for St. Norbert to setup Kroeger’s heroics. Lawrence improved to 9-0 on its home court in MWC tourney games and will face Carroll in Saturday’s tourney final at 3 p.m. St. Norbert ends the year at 14-10, while Lawrence upped its overall record to 21-2.

Saturday's tourney final is available on MWCTV

A year ago, an ice s torm forced the MWC Tournament finals to be delayed 24 hours and to be moved from Grinnell to Monmouth and finally to Knox after the storm caused power outages at the first two venues. The weather appears ready to cooperate for the 2008 Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament, which is set to unfold on Friday and Saturday, February 29-March 1 in Appleton, Wisconsin. Top-seed and host Lawrence has had the cooperation of the rest of the league in each of its four previous MWC tourney hosting gigs, but the memory of Lake Forest’s upset of No. 1 seed Grinnell a year ago will give the entire field confidence that they can win the tourney title and receive the conference’s au tomatic berth to the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Grinnell enters as the No. 2 seed this season and will face defending tourney champ and third-seeded Carroll, while No. 4 St. Norbert draws Lawrence and All-MWC junior guard Ryan Kroeger (right).

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Ripon men's basketball head coach Bob Gillespie (right) will add another honor to his distinguished career, which spans 28 years and includes 457 victories, as he was named as a member of the 2008 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee class.

The WBCA Hall of Fame banquet will be held on October 18th at the Marriott Hotel in Middleton. Gillespie, who is Ripon's all-time winningest coach, has led the Red Hawks to six Midwest Conference titles, while also leading them to the NCAA Tournament 10 times. He was named MWC Coach of the Year in 1998, after a season that saw Ripon finish 23-2, including a perfect 13-0 conference mark. Gillespie is currently one of the top 15 NCAA Division III active coaches in the country in winning percentage (.689).

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St. Norbert men’s basketball player Eric Bieniasz (right) has been named to the first team of the College Division Academic All-America Team as selected by CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine. He is one of just five selected to the first team, which is picked from student-athletes at NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA schools.

Five each were also selected to the second- and third-team Academic All-America squads. Bieniasz, a senior forward who holds a perfect 4.00 grade point with a major in business administration, currently averages 11.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Green Knights.

A two-year team captain, Bieniasz was an Academic All-Midwest Conference selection in 2006, 2007 and 2008. He is also a member of the St. Norbert Student Athlete Advisory Committee and is a Student Alumni Ambassador. Bieniasz also assists with the on-campus Special Olympics Day and aids with research in the college’s Study Abroad Department.

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The 2008 Midwest Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments will be webcast live on MWCTV ( www.midwestconference.tv) for the second consecutive season on Friday and Saturday, February 29-March 1. The pay-per-view webcasts can be purchased as single games ($6.95) or in men’s or women’s three-game tournament packages ($12). Click here for more information from the MWC’s promotional flier or

Click here for three-game tournament packages

Click here to order single games

Grinnell junior guard John Grotberg (right) surpassed 2,000 points for his career on February 20, as the Pioneers downed Knox 100-80 at home to clinch the fourth and final Midwest Conference Tournament berth. He achieved the miles tone with a 3-pointer at the 11:15 mark of the second half.

As Grotberg was passing 2,000 points on Wednesday evening, Lawrence junior guard Ryan Kroeger (left) was becoming the 19th player in school hi tory to score 1,000 points when he passed that plateau with 14 tallies in a 69-61 victory over St. Norbert.

Grotberg currently has 2,014 career points after netting 37 points in the game and joins Grinnell’s Steve Wood (2,379), Jeff Clement (2,229) and Steve Diekmann (2,218) as the fourth player in school and conference his tory to reach 2,000 career points.

A trio of Grinnell men’s basketball players have surpassed 1,000 points for their careers during the last two weeks. Senior guard Mike Schmidt surpassed the milestone with eight points during a 126-114 loss at Carroll on February 8. Eight days later, junior guards David Arseneault and Bobby Long both reached the plateau during a 103-88 win at Lake Forest on February 16, as they each netted 26 points apiece.

Lawrence captured its fourth Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball Championship in the last five seasons and seventh overall on Saturday (February 16), as the Vikings defeated Beloit 72-48 at home. Lawrence will now host the 2008 MWC Tournament (February 29-March 1), with the winner of the four-team league tourney receiving the conference’s automatic berth to the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Vikings have two regular-season MWC games remaining, but their 13-1 league record after the win over the Bucs, coupled with Carroll’s loss at St. Norbert on Saturday, clinched the title.

First-year head coach Joel DePagter becomes the first conference coach to win the men’s basketball crown in his inaugural campaign since Monmouth’s Chuck Larson accomplished the feat during the 1956-57 season when the Scots shared the title with Coe.

Due to a special on the retirement of Bob Knight, the feature segment on the Grinnell men’s basketball team will now appear on an upcoming edition of ESPN’s College Gameday Live program. Details on the broadcast will be posted as soon as they are available.

A trio of Midwest Conference men’s basketball players were honored on the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division Team. St. Norbert’s Eric Bieniasz was a first-team selection, while Illinois College’s Mark Gillingham and Carroll’s Wes Ladwig were part of the second and third team, respectively.

Bieniasz (right), who holds a 4.00 grade point average with a major in business administration, moves on to the Academic All-American ballot. A two-year team captain, Bieniasz (10.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg) was an Academic All-Midwest Conference selection in 2006 and 2007. He is also a member of the St. Norbert Student Athlete Advisory Committee and is a Student Alumni Ambassador. He also assists with the on-campus Special Olympics Day and aids with research in the college’s Study Abroad Department.

Gillingham (left) also owns a 4.0 grade point average, as the junior guard majors in history. The 2006-07 All-MWC pick is averaging 9.2 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per contest for the Blueboys this season.

Ladwig (right), a fellow junior guard, is an athletic training major with a 3.48 grade point average and has enjoyed a breakout season on the court in 200708. He currently ranks second in the MWC in scoring (23.2 ppg), while also rating among the league’s best in field-goal percentage (.520), assists (3.24 apg), free throw percentage (.811), steals (2.18 spg) and three-point field goal percentage (.393).

Carroll made certain that the 2007-08 Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball Champion will not be undefeated in conference play, as the Pioneers went on the road and handed No. 19 Lawrence its first league loss of the season during a 115-113 double-overtime thriller on February 2.

Wes Ladwig (right) provided the heroics for Carroll, as the junior guard scored a game-high 40 points and drained a pair of critical shots down the stretch. Ladwig’s lone three-pointer in the contest came as the regulation horn sounded, as he took a pass a near halfcourt, crossed the midline and drained the shot to tie the game at 83-83. Ladwig’s double-clutch jumper near the free throw line with 2.1 seconds remaining in the second overtime session proved to be the game-winner, as Lawrence’s impending crosscourt pass was tipped by Carroll and could not be controlled.

Lawrence junior guard Ryan Kroeger was equally clutch, pouring in 33 points, including 16-of-16 shooting from the free throw line. Trailing 113-109 with 11 seconds remaining in the second overtime, Kroeger preceded Ladwig’s game-winner with a four-point play to tie the game.

Nate Zimmerman forced the second overtime for Carroll, as the junior forward took an inbounds pass on the wing with seven seconds left in the first overtime, drove straight to the paint and swished a fadeaway jumper from five feet out.

The Vikings, who were the last squad to finish undefeated in conference play with a 16-0 mark in 2005-06, entered the game with a 9-0 mark in league play.

For the second consecutive season, Grinnell junior guard David Arseneault (right) has been named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award.

The 6-2 Arseneault, who led NCAA Division III in assists the last two seasons, is one of 16 finalists for the award presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame and The Hartford. In November, he was among 40 players listed as preseason candidates for the honor.

Arseneault became Grinnell’s career assist leader this season and also set a single-game assist record for any NCAA Division when he handed out 34 assists in a win over North Central (MN) on December 8.

To vote for the award visit www.cousyaward.com

Sport Illustrated’s website www.si.com recently recognized Grinnell head coach Dave Arseneault (right) in a photo collection that highlighted 11 “Innovators of College Basketball.”

Arseneault was included along with fellow coaches Vance Walberg, John Calipari, Bruce Pearl, Bo Ryan, Jay Wright, John Beilein, John Thompson III, Roy Williams, Rick Barnes and Mike Krzyzewski. Arseneault was the only coach on the list who is currently a coach in NCAA Division III.

Click here to see the photo and caption

Lawrence made its top 25 debut for the season when the Vikings entered the D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll that was released on January 29 ranked 19th in NCAA Division III. The Vikings, who had received 10 votes in the previous week’s poll, defeated No. 20 UW-Oshkosh on January 22 and followed the win with weekend conference victories over Illinois College and Grinnell to improve to 13-1 overall and 8-0 in the MWC.

Lawrence was last ranked during the first five weeks of the 2006-07 season, peaking at No. 9 before falling out of the polls after dropping to No. 21. The team reached No. 1 in the nation in the D3Hoops.com poll in 2005-06.

D3Hoops.com Top 25 Poll

Lawrence head coach Joel DePagter (right) was featured on the D3Hoops.com weekly radio show Hoopsville on January 28. DePagter’s interview with host Gordon Mann is linked below.

Click here to listen

Monmouth senior center Joe Terwelp (right) surpassed 1,000 career points in the Fighting Scots’ 67-50 loss to Beloit on January 26. Terwelp entered the game with 983 career points, before netting a game-high 25 points to pass the milestone and become the 21st player in Monmouth history to reach 1,000 points.

Lawrence forward/center Chris Page (right) set a new school single-game scoring record in the Vikings’ 109-106 win at Grinnell on January 26. The 6-6 junior poured in 48 points on 20-of-24 shooting from the field and 8-of-12 shooting from the free throw line. Page surpassed Jason Holinbeck’s record of 47 points from a 2004-05 contest against Grinnell.

Carroll junior guard Wes Ladwig (right) followed MWC Performer of the Week honors by being named to the D3Hoops.com National Team of the Week for the second time this season on January 23. Ladwig averaged 23 points per game in helping Carroll post a 3-0 record against a trio of MWC foes during the week. He opened the week with 22 points and six rebounds against St. Norbert and then tallied 26 and 21 points in a pair of 21-point victories over Knox and Illinois College, respectively.

Click here for Team of the Week

Lawrence closed out the 2007-08 non-conference schedule in the Midwest Conference with an 81-78 upset victory at home over No. 20 UW-Oshkosh on January 22.

The Vikings have now won four of five against the Titans, including three in a row at home and three when UW-Oshkosh was ranked in the top 25.

Senior guard Ben Rosenblatt’s layup with 1:24 left broke a 73-73 tie and gave Lawrence the lead for good, as the Vikings hit 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch. Junior guard Ryan Kroeger led Lawrence with a game-high 28 points on 9-of-11 shooting, while senior forward Andy Hurley added 12 points and six rebounds. The Viking bench outscored the Titan bench 22-3 in the contest.

The win was the first for an MWC squad over a ranked opponent since Carroll defeated No. 5 St. Thomas in the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

The Lawrence and St. Norbert men’s basketball teams both scored victories over NCAA Division II opponents on Monday (December 17). The Vikings defeated Nova Southeastern University 73-60 on its home floor in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Meanwhile, host St. Norbert outlasted Northern Michigan 59-50 in overtime, marking the third time this season the Green Knights have gone to OT.

Lawrence 73, at Nova Southeastern 60 - The odds seemed stacked against the Vikings as they prepared to face a Nova Southeastern squad entering the game riding a five-game winning streak over DII foes and featuring four starters at 6-7 or taller. Nova led 32-26 at halftime, but Lawrence outscored the home team 24 to nine to open the second half and take control. Junior guard Ryan Kroeger led the rally, scoring 21 of his game-high 31 points in the final 20 minutes. Sophomore forward John Dekker added 11 points off the bench, while Ben Rosenblatt (10 points) also reached double-figures scoring.

at St. Norbert 59, Northern Michigan 50 (OT) - St. Norbert held a 24-22 halftime advantage, but trailed late until Eric Bieniasz’s three-pointer gave the Green Knights a 44-42 lead inside two minutes. Northern Michigan scored the first basket in overtime, but St. Norbert responded with the next nine points, including a Dave Wipperfurth three that gave the Green Knights a 53-46 lead. Bieniasz led St. Norbert with 21 points, while sophomore guard Tony Jandron (14 points) and junior center Tom Katzfey (10 points) both reached double-figures.

Grinnell’s David Arseneault (right) set an NCAA record covering all divisions for assists in a single-game on December 8 in the Pioneers 151-112 home win over North Central (MN). The 6-2 junior guard handed out 34 assists in the contest to claim the record, doubling his previous best of 17 assists, which came at Wartburg earlier this season. Arseneault led NCAA Division III in assists per game in each of the past two seasons.

The previous NCAA Division III record of 26 assists was held by Kean’s Robert James from a 1989 performance, while the Division I record of 22 assists is shared by three players (Tony Fairley-Charleston Southern, Avery Johnson-Southern, Sherman Douglas-Syracuse) and the Division II record of 25 assists is shared by two players (Ali Baaqar-Morris Brown, Adrian Hunt-Metro State).

Junior guard John Grotberg and senior center Keith Chamberlain were the top beneficiaries of Arseneault’s record-breaking performance, scoring 49 and 39 points, respectively. Arseneault added 22 points and six rebounds in the game.

The unofficial assist number will become an official NCAA record after being reviewed by the NCAA Statistics Committee in the coming weeks.

Illinois College junior guard Brad Johnson (right) was named to D3Hoops.com’s National Team of the Week for his performance in a trio of Blueboy victories last week (Nov. 26-Dec. 2). Johnson averaged 17.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in the three contests and had his best all-around performance of the year in a 89-76 win over Ripon, tallying a team-high 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Click here for Team of the Week

Joel DePagter (right) is now officially the head men's basketball coach at Lawrence University. Director of Athletics Robert Beeman announced on December 3 that the interim tag was being removed from DePagter's coaching title.

DePagter, a 1998 Lawrence graduate, was named interim head coach in April after spending the previous four seasons as an assistant coach for the Vikings. He was a three-time first-team All-Midwest Conference selection for the Vikings in the 1990s and was named the 1997 MWC Player of the Year. As a player, DePagter's teams compiled a 42-19 record and won the 1997 MWC title. In his five seasons as an assistant at Lawrence, the Vikings have won three MWC championships, reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III Tournament, and posted a 97-33 record.

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Grinnell junior guard David Arseneault (right) broke the school record for career assists in the Pioneers’ 108-93 victory over Carroll on December 1.

Arseneault dished out 14 assists in the game to put him at 464 for his career. That number eclipses the previous Pioneer best of 459 established by Jeff Boyle from 1992-96.

Arseneault has led NCAA Division III in assists the last two years. He is a candidate for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award for the second season in a row.

The 2007-08 Midwest Conference men’s and women’s basketball conference seasons open on Friday, November 30 and continue on Saturday, December 1.

All 10 MWC men’s and women’s teams will be in action this weekend, with 10 total contests on each day. Every game will be available live with full video and audio on MWCTV. Interested viewers can visit www.midwestconference.tv for more information or to order the pay-per-view contests to watch on their computer. A high-speed internet connection is recommended for all viewers.

Season packages are also available by visiting the MWCTV website or by clicking here. A team season package featuring one MWC schools entire men’s or women’s schedule is $69.95 and contains at least 16 games. A league package ($89.95) allows a viewer to watch every men’s or women’s contest on MWCTV this season, a total of over 80 games. Package purchases include the respective men’s or women’s 2008 conference tournament as well.

All men’s and women’s contests can be purchased as single games for $6.95.

Carroll junior guard Wes Ladwig (right) was named to D3Hoops.com’s National Team of the Week for his performance in a pair of Pioneer victories last week (Nov. 19-25). Ladwig dropped 21 points in a 79-70 win over Concordia ( Wis.), before pouring in a career-high 36 points in a 73-71 win over Wisconsin Lutheran. He shot a combined 19-of-34 from the field and was 15-of-21 from the free throw line. He also grabbed 14 rebounds, dished out eight assists, blocked two shots and recorded four steals.

Click here for Team of the Week

Nate Drury (right), who led Carroll to the Sweet 16 in the 2006-07 NCAA Tournament en route to third team All-American honors from D3Hoops.com, will continue his basketball career in Germany.

The 6-2 guard play will play for SG Sechtem, a Second Regional League team in Bornheim, a small town between Cologne and Bonn. Drury finished his Carroll career as the second all-time leading scorer with 1,541 points and the all-time best in assists with 402.

Grinnell junior guard David Arseneault (right), who was named to the preseason candidate list for the Bob Cousy Award, tied the school single-game record for assists when he handed out 17 helpers in the Pioneers 105-103 win at Wartburg on Saturday, November 17.

Arseneault’s 17 assists equaled the total by Jeff Boyle against the University of Chicago from November 18, 1995.

Grinnell men’s basketball player John Grotberg (right) was named a Preseason All-American by D3Hoops.com, as the junior guard was selected to the website’s third team entering the 2007-08 season.

Grotberg averaged 28.1 points per game a year ago and has finished second in NCAA Division III in scoring in each of his first two collegiate seasons. The 6-2 guards scoring performances leading Grinnell’s system attack, which produced a 17-7 record and an MWC championship a year ago, included a high-game of 52 points and 11 games of 30 points or more.

Grotberg also led the league in made three-pointers (112) and ranked among the conference’s best in steals (40), assists (75) and free throw percentage (.824).

Preseason All-American Team

Grinnell junior guard Dave Arseneault (right) has been named as one of 40 preseason candidates for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award, which is presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame and The Hartford.

Arseneault was one of 17 finalists for the award last season after leading NCAA Division III in assists for the second straight year. He is one of two DIII players named on this season's candidate list. The 6-0 guard averaged 8.46 assists per game in 2006-07, handing out 10 assists or more in nine contests. He also finished fourth in the MWC in scoring at 18.7 points per game and ranked among the MWC’s best in steals (36), field-goal percentage (.498) and three-point percentage (.394).

Bob Cousy Award Candidates

Defending Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball champion Grinnell will not begin the 2007-08 season ranked among the Top 25 teams in NCAA Division III according to D3Hoops.com, but the Pioneers did receive 44 votes in the website’s preseason poll. The votes essentially placed Grinnell at 33rd in the country, as seven teams sat between the Pioneers and being ranked.

Carroll, the defending MWC tourney champs who upset a pair of Top 10 teams en route to a Sweet 16 appearance a year ago, also received six votes in the poll.

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Grinnell closed the 2006-07 season on a 12-game conference winning streak en route to the school’s sixth overall Midwest Conference Men’s Basketball Championship. The Pioneers faltered in the conference tournament, leaving the door open for Carroll to win the tournament crown and automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. Carroll pulled a pair of upsets over top 10 teams in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tourney to advance to the Sweet 16, marking the third time in four seasons that an MWC squad has reached the round of 16.

Graduation losses hit one Pioneer squad harder than the other, making Dave Arseneault’s (right) Grinnell squad the pick to repeat as league champions according to the 2007-08 MWC Preseason Coaches Poll. Carroll finished one point behind fourth-place St. Norbert in the tightly contested field, while Lawrence claimed second place over third-place Lake Forest by a single point as well. Grinnell received six first-place votes in the poll, Lawrence garnered three and Lake Forest received the remaining No. 1 nod. Ripon came in five points behind Carroll in sixth and seven points ahead of seventh-place Monmouth. Illinois College, Knox and Beloit rounded out the voting in order.

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Knox announced on October 18 that long-time basketball coach Tim Heimann (right) will coach his last season with the Prairie Fire this winter. Heimann will not be leaving Knox, as he moves to the College’s Advancement office as a major gifts officer.

Heimann graduated from Knox in 1970 and played basketball under Coach Harley Knosher during his student days. After graduation, he returned to Knox, working in the Admission office and Dean of Students office. He joined the Knox Athletic Department in1973 as a junior varsity basketball coach. In 1984 he was named head coach for basketball. During the past 34 years, he also has held coaching duties in football and has served as the head baseball and women’s tennis coach.

Taking the lead as new head basketball coach role is Rob Purlee (left), a Monmouth graduate and former All-MWC athlete in basketball and football. Purlee began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Monmouth in 2004, and came to Knox in 2006.

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Mark Vershaw (right), who gained national attention as the leading scorer on the University of Wisconsin’s Final Four team in 2000, will be named the new men’s basketball coach at Monmouth on Monday (October 1), college officials have announced.

Vershaw comes to Monmouth from Cornell University, where he served as assistant basketball coach the past season. Prior to Cornell, Vershaw held assistant positions at Washington State University and Illinois Central College.

At Wisconsin, Vershaw was one of six forwards in Big Ten history to record 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 300 assists in a career. He set school records for minutes played (1,122) and assists by a forward (118) during the 1999-2000 season, which saw Wisconsin join Michigan State, Florida and North Carolina in the Final Four. Vershaw, who totaled 1,066 collegiate points, did not miss a contest in his 128-game Badger career.

The new coach is slated to begin his duties at Monmouth immediately. Vershaw and his wife, Natalie, have two children.

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Dr. Terry Glasgow (right), one of the winningest coaches in the history of Division III men’s basketball, recently announced his retirement from coaching at Monmouth, ending an unprecedented 35-year career with the Fighting Scots.

“There’s never a good time to leave, but after a great deal of thought, I decided that this was the right time,” said Glasgow, who will remain Monmouth’s athletic director through the end of the academic year.

Glasgow began coaching the basketball team in 1972. It didn’t take long for the Keokuk, Iowa, native to turn the program into an elite one, as he guided the Scots to a Midwest Conference championship in his second year at the helm. Each of his first 11 teams won at least 60 percent of their games, and the Scots then went on a championship run, capturing three MWC titles between 1985 and 1990. The latter team won a school-record 20 consecutive games before falling in the NCAA tournament to eventual runner-up DePauw.

In all, Glasgow led Monmouth to 14 South Division titles of a possible 23, and his teams played in five NCAA tournaments. He coached the Fighting Scots in nearly 40 percent of the basketball program’s 1,999 games, posting a record of 469-313. That victory total puts him among the top 25 in the history of Division III men’s basketball.

No other coach in Monmouth history has presided over a single program as long as Glasgow, and when his 343 varsity baseball victories are added in, no Fighting Scots coach comes close to his 812 career wins. Glasgow resigned as baseball coach in 1993 after 21 seasons in charge.

In fact, Glasgow likened the timing of his basketball decision to that of ending his baseball connection. He is proud of the fact that Monmouth’s first team without him had great success on the diamond, winning 20 games, and he believes the basketball team is similarly positioned.

A coaching successor has not yet been named, but Roger Haynes, a 1982 Monmouth graduate who has coached and taught at Monmouth the past quarter-century, has been named interim associate director of athletics. He will be charged with leading the search to find a new coach.

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The Lawrence men's basketball team will open the 2007-08 season with an exhibition game at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on November 5.

Tip-off against the Phoenix is set for 7:05 p.m. at the Resch Center. Ticket information will be released when it becomes available.

This is Lawrence's third exhibition game in four seasons against a Division I opponent from Wisconsin. The Vikings lost to UW-Milwaukee 89-55 in 2004 and to the University of Wisconsin 81-46 in 2005.

The Phoenix finished 18-15 a season ago and returns 11 players from that squad, including junior forward Mike Schachtner, an All-Horizon League selection and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.

St. Norbert faced UW-Green Bay last season in an exhibition contest, falling 70-37.

Brian Vraney (right), an assistant coach for seven seasons in the Midwest Conference, has been named the tenth Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Beloit. The announcement was made at a press conference on April 16 by Director of Athletics Kim Chandler.

Vraney comes to Beloit after serving two seasons as an assistant for the Lake Forest men’s basketball team. Prior to Lake Forest, he was an assistant for the men’s basketball team at Ripon, where he helped guide the squad to three Midwest Conference Tournament appearances, an MWC Championship and an NCAA Division III Tournament bid in 2002.

The Valders, Wisconsin native was a four-year letterwinner for the Badgers at the University of Wisconsin, he was Academic All-Big Ten, and earned both the Big Ten Scholar-Athlete Award and the UW Athletic Board Scholar Award. On the floor, he earned the Red Team Award for his work ethic and efforts in practice following his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

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Lawrence head men’s basketball coach John Tharp (right) is leaving the university to become the head coach at Hillsdale College, an NCAA Division II school located in Hillsdale, Michigan.

Joel DePagter, Tharp's assistant for the past four seasons and the 1996-97 MWC Player of the Year, has been named interim head coach, Director of Athletics Robert Beeman announced on March 28.

Tharp compiled a record of 204-108 at Lawrence, making him the winningest coach in Viking men's basketball history. Tharp's teams won four Midwest Conference championships (1997, 2004, 2005, 2006) and won the MWC Tournament title in those four seasons as well. The Vikings played in the NCAA Division III Tournament four times, advancing farther in the tournament than any team in MWC history when it reached the Elite Eight in 2004.

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