MADISON, Wis.- The 15-time WIAC regular season champion UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team was selected to finish fourth in the league's standings by WIAC head coaches and sports information directors in the 2026-27 preseason poll on Thursday (Oct. 29).

The Titans (17-9, 8-6 WIAC last season) finished fourth in the conference standings and qualified for the WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's), falling to UW-Platteville, 79-72, in the quarterfinal round. Michael Metcalf-Grassman (Shawano/Waukesha/Shawano Community) earned All-WIAC First Team honors, Joey La Chapell (Appleton/Appleton East) was named to the conference's Honorable Mention Team, and Aiden Hawkinson (Waupun/Waupun) received the Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year award.

UW-Stevens Point (19-8, 9-5 WIAC) was predicted to win the WIAC regular season title, followed by UW-La Crosse (24-7, 9-5 WIAC) in second and UW-Whitewater (21-8, 10-4 WIAC) in third.

Rounding out the eight-team predictions after Oshkosh were UW-Platteville (18-10, 9-5 WIAC) in fifth, UW-Stout Polytechnic (9-17, 5-9 WIAC) in sixth, UW-Eau Claire (14-11, 3-11 WIAC) in seventh, and UW-River Falls (8-17, 3-11 WIAC) in eighth.
Head coach Steve Schweer enters his ninth season as a collegiate head coach and first at the helm of the Titans with a 114-79 career record. Schweer comes to Oshkosh after leading the men's basketball program at Illinois College to the most successful eight-season stretch in program history from 2019-26 and serving as the associate director of athletics for the last three academic years. Schweer welcomes back 15 letterwinners, including four starters, from the 2025-26 season.

Top returning non-All-WIAC players include forward Brandon Beck (Rockton, Ill./Hillcrest Prep (Ariz.)), who led the Titans with 15.9 points per game last season while shooting 50.2 percent from the field.

The Titans will begin their season on Nov. 13-14 at the Trine University Classic in Angola, Indiana, facing La Roche University (Pa.) and host Thunder.

Following the opening weekend, Oshkosh will begin its home schedule on Nov. 18 when Augustana College (Ill.) comes to Kolf Sports Center. The Titans will also host Edgewood University and Concordia University Wisconsin on Nov. 21 and Nov. 24, respectively, before traveling to St. Norbert College on Dec. 5.

Oshkosh will travel to Virginia Beach, Va., for the Batten University North Beach Plastic Surgery Winter Classic on Dec.12-13, opening against North Carolina Wesleyan University. Following a road contest against Ripon College on Dec. 21, the Titans will host Franklin College (Ind.) and Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) during the UW-Oshkosh BSN Winter Classic at Oshkosh Arena on Dec. 28-29 to conclude their nonconference schedule.

UW-Oshkosh will begin WIAC play on Jan. 2 at UW-Platteville before hosting UW-Stevens Point on Jan. 6.

The Titans' remaining home WIAC games will be played on Jan.9 (UW-Stout Polytechnic), Jan. 16 (UW-La Crosse), Jan. 23 (UW-River Falls), Jan. 27 (UW-Platteville), Feb. 10 (UW-Eau Claire), and Feb. 17 (UW-Whitewater).

The 2027 WIAC Tournament (presented by Culver's) will be played on Feb. 23 (quarterfinal round), Feb. 25 (semifinal round), and Feb. 27 (championship). The tournament's champion will be awarded the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Following the regional and sectional rounds on March 5-6 and March 12-13, respectively, the national semifinal and championship games are scheduled for March 19 and 21 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.