UWSP Pointers Return to March Madness with Championship Dreams

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point men’s basketball team is heading back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018, and they’re not just happy to be there. The Pointers earned an at-large bid after finishing 19-6 in the regular season, marking a remarkable turnaround under third-year head coach Kent Dernbach.

For a program that’s captured national championships in each of the last four decades, this isn’t just about making an appearance. It’s about getting back to a standard that Stevens Point basketball fans know well.

“We’re trying to get better and stack good days on top of one another,” Dernbach said. “Our goal is to be the best version of ourselves at the end of the year.”

From 10 Wins to Tournament Contenders

When Dernbach returned to Stevens Point in 2023 to take the head coaching job, he walked into a tough situation. The team had finished 10-15 the previous season, and the program hadn’t seen NCAA tournament action in five years.

But Dernbach knew what UWSP basketball could be. He grew up in Stevens Point, watched the Pointers win the 2015 national championship as an assistant coach, and understood the DNA of this program.

The rebuilding happened faster than most expected. From a losing record to 18-9 last season to now 19-6 with a tournament berth — that’s the kind of trajectory that gets attention across Division III basketball.

“We knew what this program was, we knew what we wanted it to be,” Dernbach explained. “But they had to believe in it without it actually taking place in the moment.”

Players Buying Into the Vision

Leading scorer Josiah Butler didn’t choose Stevens Point by accident. He came because of what Dernbach promised during recruiting.

“The main reason I came here is because I believe in what coach Dernbach told me,” Butler said. “The ability for us to compete against anybody and hopefully compete for a national championship.”

“We believe this is the standard for our program, we should be competing here every year. Not that we take it for granted. It took a lot to get here, but this is where we expect to be at this point of the season.” — Josiah Butler

Junior Logan Baumgarter echoed that championship mindset. Growing up dreaming about playing college basketball in March, he’s now living that reality at his home-state university.

The Pointers aren’t satisfied with just showing up to the dance. They’re bringing the mentality that helped Dernbach earn WIAC Coach of the Year honors at UW-La Crosse in 2021 and helped UWSP make four straight NCAA appearances from 2012-2015.

A Program Built on Championship Tradition

Stevens Point basketball has serious hardware in its trophy case. The program has won at least one national championship in each of the last four decades since moving to Division III in the early 1990s.

That 2015 title run wasn’t ancient history. Dernbach was there as associate head coach, helping build a team that captured three consecutive WIAC regular-season titles from 2013-2015.

Key elements that made those championship teams successful:

• Strong defensive identity and physical play in the paint
• Deep bench with multiple scoring threats
• Experience in high-pressure tournament games
• Culture of accountability and team-first basketball
• Connection between players, coaches, and the Stevens Point community

Dernbach’s coaching journey prepared him for this moment. He played in the 2002 NCAA Final Four at Carthage College, coached at George Mason during back-to-back 20-win seasons, and developed 16 All-WIAC players during his time at UW-La Crosse.

Now he’s brought all that experience back home to Stevens Point, where the expectations have always been higher than just making the tournament.

What This Means for Stevens Point

In a college town of about 25,000 people, UWSP athletics matter. When the Pointers are winning, Nistrom Field House fills with students, families, and alumni wearing green and gold.

The university contributes roughly $300 million annually to Portage County’s economy, and successful athletic programs amplify that impact. More visitors mean more packed restaurants downtown, more hotel bookings, and more buzz around campus events.

For young basketball players across central Wisconsin, seeing the Pointers back in the NCAA tournament provides inspiration. This is their local team, playing at a high level, showing what’s possible if you stay in Wisconsin and compete for championships.

The program’s return to prominence also reconnects alumni who remember those championship runs. They’re watching games online, planning trips back to Stevens Point, and feeling pride in their university again.

The Road Ahead Starts Friday

The Pointers face Mary-Hardin Baylor in their first-round matchup Friday at 4:50 p.m. It’s the first step in what they hope will be a long March run.

Dernbach isn’t putting limits on what this team can accomplish. He’s seen UWSP win it all before. He knows the recipe, and he believes this group has the ingredients.

“Anytime you put yourself in a position to make an NCAA Tournament, you know you’ve accomplished something special,” he said. “It’s something we should feel proud about, but it’s something we’re not satisfied with.”

That attitude — grateful but hungry — defines this Pointers team. They’ve rebuilt the culture, earned their way into the tournament, and now they’re chasing the standard that Stevens Point basketball has always demanded.

Whether you’re in the Northwoods or down in Stevens Point, there’s a team representing Wisconsin values on the national stage this March. They play tough, they believe in each other, and they’re ready to show everyone that UWSP basketball is back where it belongs.