As the UW-Steven Point men's basketball team prepares for the 2016-17 season, head coach Bob Semling is looking for a winning combination among his larger than normal roster.  The Pointers enter this season with 19 players on the roster and Semling says that finding the right rotation is still a work in progress.

Sophomore Ethan Bublitz (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) returns for UWSP as the lone player on this year's roster to start all 26 games a season ago.  At 10.0 points per game, his scoring touch will be relied upon to be a catalyst for the UWSP offense.  His ability to bury the three-ball is pivotal to the Pointers capability to spread the floor and open up other scoring opportunities.

His athleticism led to Bublitz leading the team with 87 defensive rebounds a season ago.  He also had a team-high 38 steals in 2015-16.

Junior Zack Goedeke (Valders, Wis./Valders) is the second-leading scorer among the returners averaging 6.7 points per game last year.  His .550 field goal percentage was the best on the team in 2015-16.  Goedeke also contributed heavily on the defensive end with a team-best 15 blocked shots.

Marshfield native Luke Zuiker (Marshfield, Wis./Marshfield) is also back after pacing the Pointers' before beyond the arc with a .375 success rate.  Newcomers MJ Delmore (Wisconsin Dells, Wis./Wisconsin Dells) and Jontrell Robinson (Rockford, Ill./East) join UWSP as juniors.  Delmore has the shooting touch that Semling is looking for to help spread the floor.  Robinson has the size and athleticism to be potentially be the defensive stopper for the Pointers.

The addition of Bryce Williams (Maple Grove, Minn./Spring Lake Park) gives the Pointers five seniors on this year's roster.  Aaron Retzlaff (Randolph, Wis./Randolph), Jared Gjertson (Wausau, Wis./D.C. Everest) and Brad Freeborn (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) combined to start 23 games last year.  Their experience, along with fellow senior Caden Untiedt (Edgar, Wis./Edgar), in winning a national championship two seasons ago will be something Semling hopes can be instilled in this year's team.

Those seniors have experienced the ride through a demanding, but successful season.  That work ethic and the willingness to face any challenge, even in the face of adversity, is something Semling looks for from this year's team entering a difficult road stretch to begin the season.

Sophomores Canon O'Heron (Bangor, Wis./Bangor) and Brett Tauber (Madison, Wis./Memorial) have the size that Semling is looking for down low.  Their ability to develop and improve after a year in the program could be a key to a successful season.

Drew Fredrickson (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) has the potential to be one of the best shooters in the WIAC Semling says.  He was second on the team in three-pointer field goal percentage last year.  Chaz Mootz (Merrill, Wis./Merrill) and Mark Nelson (Madison, Wis./Monona Grove) have a year of experience under their belt and could be solid contributors.

The Pointers have four freshmen who will join the mix.  Blake Ehrke (Deerfield, Wis./Deerfield), Matt Koerner (West Bend, Wis./West), Aaron Knez (Chippewa Falls, Wis./Chippewa Falls) and Brandon Spray (Prairie Du Sac, Wis./Sauk Prairie) have been impressive in the early preseason.

The schedule that the Pointers face this season is among the toughest in the country.  Early in the non-conference slate, UWSP will face four opponents away from Stevens Point that made the NCAA Tournament, two of which were Final Four squads including national champion St. Thomas.

Semling, entering his 12th season as UWSP coach, says the strength of his team's schedule this year will make the team better.  He hopes his team can profit from the tough schedule and rise back to the top of the league standings. UWSP was picked to finish sixth in the WIAC preseason coaches poll.