After finishing fifth in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) last season and entering the year sixth in the preseason poll, the UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team delivered an end result that exceeded the expectations of many.

The Warhawks finished the year with a WIAC regular-season title and an appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. For head coach Jarod Wichser, the difference between last season and this year came down to one thing: connection.

“I think the biggest difference was how connected this group was throughout the season,” Wichser said. “We had a lot of the same players, but pretty much every single person had their best season this year.”

UW-W showed early signs of potential in nonconference play, highlighted by strong wins over Eureka, 116-73, and Elmhurst, 88-72. The latter being on the bubble of making the NCAA tournament. 

But the Warhawks faced adversity once conference play began, starting WIAC competition 0-2. That stretch, Wichser said, helped define the rest of the season for the team.

After the early conference losses, the team gathered for a weight-room lift that the coach described as tense but also important.

“The tension in there was unbelievable,” Wichser said. “But nobody lost their minds. The coaches weren’t screaming and the players weren’t pointing fingers. After that, I felt pretty comfortable that this group would turn it around.”

The Warhawks responded by stringing together several key wins, including a comeback victory over UW-Oshkosh, where the team erased a double-digit halftime lead and pulled away late in the game. That resilience became a defining trait for the team.

Junior guard Collin Madson emerged as one of the top scorers in the conference, doubling his points-per-game from last season, finishing second in the WIAC in total points (521) and third in points-per-game (18.0), earning all-conference honors. Madson credited his offseason preparation and confidence in the team for his breakout year.

“I was living in the gym and weight room all offseason,” Madson said. “I knew we had the pieces to have a really good season, so I just tried to put in as much time and effort as I could so we could succeed.”

One of the most memorable moments of the season came in a dramatic road win earlier in the year versus Hope College. Down three in the final seconds, Madson hit a three-pointer to tie the game before senior guard Isaac Verges followed with a steal and a buzzer-beating shot to seal an exciting win.

Verges, a leader for the Warhawks, earned both all-conference and all-defensive team honors during the season. Known for his defensive intensity and leadership, Verges said the team’s chemistry was unlike any group he had been a part of.

“Everyone showed up every day,” Verges said. “Guys came in ready to work, and I think that’s what created a lot of the special moments we had this year.”

For Verges, the season also served as a meaningful conclusion to his four-year career with the program.

“It’s been pretty cool to reflect on how each year was different,” Verges said. “I feel like everything kind of came together this last year.”

The Warhawks hosted postseason action at the Williams Center and advanced to the WIAC Tournament Championship, falling to UW-La Crosse. Despite the loss, the team’s regular-season performance secured an at-large bid to the NCAA DIII Tournament, where they made it past Loras but fell to Washington University (St. Louis) in the round of 32 shortly after. 

Wichser, who was named WIAC Coach of the Year, credited the players and the program for the season’s success.

“That award is really a program accomplishment,” Wichser said. “We have great guys who are great basketball players, but they also have unbelievable character and leadership.”

With six seniors graduating, the Warhawks will look to build on the culture established this season.

“The foundation has been set,” Wichser said. “Now it’s about protecting that standard every single day.”

The Warhawks look to take the momentum from this season into next year. With many key contributors graduating, filling those roles will be critical if the Warhawks want to replicate a season like this.