The UW-Platteville men’s basketball team is your Varsity Journal Men’s Team of the Month. The Pioneers from Platteville earned the distinction after leading the WIAC in wins and making a strong push into the NCAA playoff race.
The Pioneers are back in the Playoffs for the first time since 2022 when they finished the season ranked 5th in the nation.
This year, after a regular season record of 23-4 the Platteville men earned the distinction of being the 12th-ranked Division 3 team nationally.
The tone has been set offensively by Senior forward Logan Pearson, who leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game. His dominant play has been enough for him to be named WIAC Player of the Year. Ben Probst and Max Love have also established themselves down the stretch as effective scorers, each averaging over 12 points per game.
Overall the strength has been in the way the team has been able to work together, most recently winning the WIAC Tournament, beating UW-River Falls with a final score of 91-74. With the two teams tied at halftime, it was all Platteville in the second half, outscoring the Falcons 60-37.
This late surge was enough to deliver the Pioneers their fourth WIAC Championship win, and first since 2021.
Head Coach Jeff Gard has guided the Pioneers’ ship throughout the season and will be making his 5th NCAA tournament appearance. His leadership has earned him WIAC Coach of the Year Honors for the 2023-24 season. Gard is assisted by coaches Rion Rayfield, Kegan Schieve, Jim Lawinger, and Max Kunde.
The Pioneers will kick off the sectional semi-final series on March 8 in a matchup vs. Case Western Reserve. With a win on Friday, UW-Platteville hopes to take one step closer toward their first National Championship since 1999.
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