Warhawks fall in first round of WIAC 

The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team fell short of an incredible comeback against UW-Stevens Point in the first round of the WIAC tournament Feb. 24, losing 81-79. In the first half, Stevens Point hit 10 three-pointers and built a comfortable 26-point halftime lead. The Warhawks didn’t blink though, starting the second half with a 12-0 run that injected new life into the team.

Sophomore guard Collin Madson led the team with 25 points, going 4-of-7 from three-point range and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. With three seconds left in regulation, Madson hit a massive three-pointer to tie the game at 79.

The Warhawks then committed a foul with 0.9 seconds remaining, putting Pointers guard Josiah Butler at the free-throw line. Butler calmly hit both free throws, giving the Pointers the lead and ultimately winning them the game.

Even though the Warhawks were unable to complete what would have been one of the best comebacks in school history, head coach Jarod Wichser was proud of his team’s grit and fight, noting they never gave up.

“I thought our two seniors, Carter [Capstran] and JT [Hoytink], stepped up in a big way; Carter had a monster second half,” Wichser said. “To comeback and give ourselves a chance to win it at the end, it makes it difficult to end your season on this note but competing and responding the way we did in the second half are certainly things that we can build off of with the guys that we have coming back.”

Capstran finished the game with 22 points, 19 of them coming in the second half, leading the Warhawks’ charge back into the game.

Unfortunately for the Warhawks, their season ends with a heartbreaking loss, but it will fuel the players returning to lace them up next year.

Putting the season in perspective

According to a preseason poll that was conducted by many of the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors, the Warhawks were picked to finish fifth in the WIAC. The prediction proved accurate, as Whitewater did finish the season in fifth.

The Warhawks finished the year 11-15, with a 5-9 record in WIAC play, following a season in which they went 17-9 overall and 7-7 in conference play. Wichser explained the ups and downs of his team’s season while stressing the importance of every game.

“I think we look back at a number of games throughout the year, that if we’re playing the way we were right now at the end, our season looks very different,” Wichser said. “What this group has to learn is you don’t get those games back, so I expect the guys that we have coming back to really take a big step and make sure we’re playing at a certain level all season long.”

Additions like transfer guard Luke Bara played a huge role in the team’s success on the court this year.

“As a shot maker, a creator, a facilitator offensively, but I also thought that he got a lot better defensively as the year went on, especially in the last third of the season,” Wichser said.

Other key players, such as Isaac Verges and Richie Warren, left a lasting impact both on and off the court.

“Verges played a pivotal role for us all year; he’s always been a leader, working as hard or harder than anybody,” Wichser said. “Richie Warren battled some health issues early on in the season with his shoulder and his hands down the stretch, but for him to play the way he did, I really thought he became a difference maker.”

The Warhawks will be bringing back most of their roster next season while looking to add some depth. In the offseason, getting stronger and sharpening skills that were on display all year long will undoubtedly help build off this season and make the 2025-26 campaign even better.

“It’s going to start in the weight room for us, then it’s going to be individual development,” Wichser said. “Everyone is going to get stronger and more explosive. We’re really going to focus on skill development offensively, finishing and shooting. We’re going to bring in some talented guys that are going to enhance the competition.”

This year, Wichser got his first season as the official head coach after operating as the team’s interim head coach last year. With a full season under his belt, he will use this experience to build on the team’s progress moving forward.

“The biggest thing I learned this year, because we had a younger group, I had to do more teaching,” Wichser said. “When working with a more experienced group, they know what to do, and it’s more about getting them to actually execute. We had so many different guys in different roles this year that evolved throughout the course of the season, /cfso I really had to step back and make sure that we were doing more teaching, giving more explanation, and having more film sessions.”

The Warhawks will look to bounce back next season, regrouping leaders from the current team while gaining some additions as they aim for the top of the WIAC.