The Division I Wisconsin college basketball players who won league player of the year awards

Marquette's Tyler Kolek, the Big East player of the year in 2023 and leader of the outright Big East champion, joins a surprisingly small fraternity of MU players so honored, though bear in mind that many conference player of the year awards mostly began in the 1980s and 1990s, and Marquette played as an independent through the 1988-89 season.

Kolek, who transferred two years ago from George Mason, scored 12.7 points per game but excelled as the team's point guard, handing out 7.9 assists. He added 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals as Marquette won the Big East Conference outright despite famously getting picked ninth in the preseason poll.

These players all earned the nod from Wisconsin Division I programs:

Johnny Davis, Wisconsin (2022)

A revelation as a sophomore, Davis went from coming off the bench to a national player of the year candidate, scoring 19.7 points per game with 8.2 rebounds and helping Wisconsin improbably share the Big Ten Conference title after coming into the year picked 10th. He scored 37 points in a win over Purdue and finished third in the league in scoring before he was taken 10th overall in the NBA draft by the Washington Wizards.

Natasha Hiedeman, Marquette (2019)

The senior from Green Bay Southwest took a big leap forward in her senior year, scoring 17.6 points per game with 6.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest, leading the Marquette women to an outright Big East title and the second round of the NCAA Tournament (and close loss to Texas A&M, 78-76). Her teammate, Allazia Blockton, had won the Big East player of the year honor the previous season.

Markus Howard, Marquette (2019)

The top career scorer in Marquette history, Howard averaged 25 points per game as a junior to earn the Big East honor (Seton Hall's Myles Powell edged Howard for the award in 2020). His 774 total points that season also smashed a single-season school record, including a 53-point performance against Creighton that broke a Big East record.

Allazia Blockton, Marquette (2018)

She scored 19.1 points per game as a junior and brought in 6.2 rebounds while shooting 55% from the field. Marquette shared the Big East regular-season title for the first time. The Whitefish Bay Dominican alumna was the lone unanimous selection on the league's first-team all-conference slate. She became the first MU women's player to reach 1,000 career points.

Mehryn Kraker, UW-Green Bay (2017)

The West Allis Central alumna scored 17.6 points per game and averaged 3.6 assists as Green Bay won the regular-season title, the conference tournament and appeared in the NCAA Tournament (falling to Purdue in the first round). She finished her career with 234 makes from beyond the arc, a program record. Kraker also earned the 2016 Horizon League tourney MVP award and became the second UWGB player drafted by the WNBA.

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin (2015)

Not only was he Big Ten player of the year, Kaminsky was named the national player of the year, earned consensus first-team All-American status, won the Big Ten tournament most outstanding player award and led his team to the national championship game. It's no wonder the school quickly retired his No. 44 jersey. The 7-footer from Illinois averaged 18.8 points per game that year with 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists, helping the Badgers to both Big Ten titles that year. He was taken ninth overall by Charlotte in the subsequent NBA draft.

Keifer Sykes, UW-Green Bay (2014, 2015)

Sykes began his UWGB career as the youngest starter in the nation at 17 and ended it as a two-time Horizon player of the year. He scored 21 points with 10 assists in an upset of future No. 1 seed Virginia as a junior, on his way to scoring 20.3 points per game with 4.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds, leading the Phoenix to the regular-season title. As a senior, he dropped 18.6 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists, becoming the first Horizon League player with a career 2,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds.

Jae Crowder, Marquette (2012)

A decade before he came to the Milwaukee Bucks as perhaps the missing piece for a championship run, Crowder was named Big East player of the year. He averaged 18.0 points per game in conference with 8.3 rebounds, shooting 51.6% and throwing in 2.9 steals as well. He was drafted in the second round that year and began his NBA career in Dallas, with stops in Boston, Cleveland, Utah, Memphis, Miami, Phoenix and now Milwaukee.

Julie Wojta, UW-Green Bay (2012)

The second-team All-American from the Associated Press led the Horizon League in scoring (19.5) and steals (3.8) and added a Horizon League tournament MVP to cap her decorated senior season, on her way to becoming the program's first WNBA draft pick. Her 10 steals in a second-round NCAA Tournament game that year (a loss to Kentucky) are among the most in a single game in the history of the women's tournament. She scored in double figures every game that season with 17 double-doubles and one game of 30 points and 20 rebounds (plus five assists and eight steals vs. Wright State).

Kayla Tetschlag and Celeste Hoewisch, UW-Green Bay (2011)

Thanks to an 18-0 record in the Horizon League, two Phoenix teammates earned the nod in 2011, and Green Bay headed into the tournament with just one loss and a top-15 ranking. Hoewisch (from Hortonville) and Tetschlag (from Sheboygan North) combined to average 30 points per game, with Tetschlag grabbing eight rebounds per game and shooting 58% from the field. Hoewisch shot 44% from 3-point range and added 3.7 assists per game; she was also named co-defensive player of the Year in the league.

Traci Edwards, UW-Milwaukee (2008, 2009)

The native of Menasha won the award outright as a junior and shared it with Cleveland State's Kailey Klein as a senior. She scored 20.6 points per game with 9.7 rebounds in 2007-08 and 17.9 with 9.0 the following year, with 9.7. She led the Horizon League in scoring both years and rebounding all four years, becoming the first player to accomplish the latter. She's the program's all-time leading scorer.

Jolene Anderson, Wisconsin (2008)

With 2,312 points, she's the all-time leading scorer in UW history, and she went to the Badgers after setting the state girls basketball career scoring record with 2,881 points (since surpassed by Megan Gustafson and Shemera Williams). The Superior native set UW records for 3-pointers (248) and consecutive starts (123) and averaged 18.8 points for her career, including 19.9 points as a senior to accompany 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The UW women finished 16-14 that year, but Anderson was undeniable.

Alando Tucker, Wisconsin (2007)

The all-time leading scorer in Wisconsin men's basketball history scored 19.9 points per game that year with 5.4 rebounds and led the Badgers to a school-record 13 victories in conference, with a 17-game winning streak in the mix. He finished his career with 2,217 points. The Badgers took second in the Big Ten that year and lost to UNLV in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, though Tucker was subsequently taken with the 29th pick in the NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns.

Nicole Soulis, UW-Green Bay (2006, 2007)

The Bay Port alumna nearly scored 2,000 points in her career (1,921) and sits second on the school's all-time scoring list. She led the Phoenix to three NCAA Tournament appearances and four Horizon League regular-season championships. She averaged 18.4 points per game as a junior and 16.7 as a senior, and she also led the team in rebounds both years (6.8 and 5.7) as well as blocks (1.5 both times). She shot 57% as a senior.

Tiffany Mor, UW-Green Bay (2005)

After missing the previous season with a knee injury, Mor fought back to lead UWGB into the NCAA Tournament with her 16.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Her 61.0% field-goal shooting was fifth highest in the country, and she also averaged 2.4 blocks per game to finish among the nation's top 25. Green Bay won both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Horizon that year and finished 27-4 after a first-round loss to Maryland. Mor played at Fox Valley Lutheran High School.

Ed McCants, UW-Milwaukee (2005)

The transfer from Northwestern scored 17.4 points per game and piloted the Panthers on a magical run, with the Horizon League title, the conference tourney crown and a surge into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after upsets of Alabama and Boston College, where McCants scored 39 points over two games. The native of Ohio had been the league's newcomer of the year the previous season.

Devin Harris, Wisconsin (2004)

The smooth guard from Wauwatosa East capped his junior season with 19.5 points per game, 4.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists, helping Wisconsin take second in the Big Ten and reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was also the Big Ten tournament most outstanding player and named second-team All-American, followed by a selection as the No. 5 pick in the NBA draft by Dallas. He spent 15 years in the NBA, making one all-star team. He became the first Badger to win the Big Ten player of the year honor, first distributed in 1985.

Dylan Page, UW-Milwaukee (2004)

Page ranked among the top 10 in the Horizon League in seven statistical categories, with a league-best 20.9 points per game to lead the Panthers while shooting 40% from 3-point range and 50% overall. The Amherst native also had 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks that season. He blossomed over his final two years after averaging just 2.2 and 6.1 points per game in his first two seasons at UWM. Page, who narrowly missed a last-second layup that would have been the difference in a first-round loss to Notre Dame in the previous year's NCAA Tournament, guided the team to the regular-season title, but the Panthers fell to Illinois-Chicago in the Horizon tourney final.

Dwyane Wade, Marquette (2003)

He'll always be remembered by Marquette fans for what he did in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, but he also had a great regular season as the Conference USA player of the year. In his second of two years at MU, he averaged 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game, netting him the league's defensive player of the year nod, as well. The Golden Eagles went 23-4 overall, won the conference and then reached the Final Four, and Wade was taken fifth overall in the following NBA draft — the highest-ever slot for an MU player.

Kristy Loiselle, UW-Green Bay (2003)

She led the Phoenix to their first NCAA Tournament win (a 78-65 win over Washington) after sweeping the Horizon regular-season and tournament titles, finishing 28-4. They were the most wins the program had achieved to that point since joining DI. The Kimberly native averaged 14.3 points per game and shot better than 53% from 3-point range, making 54 of 101 shots. She also led UWGB in rebounds (5.4), steals (2.3) and assists (4.5).

Maria Viall, UW-Milwaukee (2002, 2004)

On her way to becoming the program's all-time leading scorer, the 6-3 center won two honors, as a sophomore and senior. In her final year, she led the league with 18.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and also led everyone in the Horizon with a 52.5% mark from the field. When her career was over, she led UWM in scoring, blocked shots, field-goal percentage and free throws. As a sophomore, she was second in the league in scoring (16.8) and led the conference with 1.6 blocks per game. The 2002 team finished 20-8.

Mandy Stowe, UW-Green Bay (2001)

The 6-1 transfer from Michigan won the award as a junior and also earned the conference newcomer of the year plaudit after averaging 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting nearly 58% from the field. Her basket with 1.5 seconds left lifted the Phoenix to an 82-80 win over Wisconsin in January, on her way to 24 points in that game. UWGB was defeated by UW-Milwaukee in the first all-Wisconsin Horizon tournament finale that season, but the Phoenix went to the Dance the following year, falling in a tight game to Texas.

Chari Nordgaard, UW-Green Bay (1999)

The all-time leading scorer in UWGB history with 1,954 points was at the forefront of Green Bay's rise to prominence in women's basketball, and her 653 points in a season are also the most in UWGB history. She averaged 22.5 points per game, including 38 in a Jan. 28 game against Loyola that remains a program best. She also led the team with 6.9 boards. Her 27 points weren't quite enough in a 76-69 loss to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

More:Wisconsin Lutheran's Kon Knueppel, a DI basketball recruit, is guided by parents who were stars as well

Jen Greger, UW-Milwaukee (1997)

Including a 36-point outing to set a UWM single-game record for Division I, she led the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (now the Horizon) in scoring at 19.5 points per game and led the team in scoring and assists three seasons. She was hired as an assistant coach the following season.

Jeff Nordgaard, UW-Green Bay (1996)

The brother of Chari was MCC Player of the Year and an honorable-mention All-American, earning the award two years after the Phoenix shocked Cal in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 22.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in that senior season as Green Bay went undefeated in league play and again went to the NCAA Tournament with a No. 8 seed, falling to Virginia Tech. He's still fourth on the school's leaderboard for men's scoring.

Jim McIlvaine, Marquette (1994)

The 7-1 big man who later became a longtime fixture on Marquette radio broadcasts won the Great Midwest player of the year honor after averaging 14.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game. The Racine St. Catherine's alumnus made a huge leap in his senior year after not even getting named to the league's preseason all-conference team. His performance helped Marquette win the league, reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament and netted him an award for the nation's best defensive player. He was picked early in the second round of the NBA draft by Washington. He spent six seasons in the NBA.

Tony Bennett, UW-Green Bay (1991, 1992)

Today, he's known as an NCAA champion head coach at Virginia, but at the time, he was starring for his father, Dick, with the Phoenix, racking up enough points (2,285) and assists (601) to establish Mid-Continent Conference career records. His ridiculous 49.7% from 3-point range is still the best in NCAA lore. He was drafted by Charlotte and spent three seasons in the NBA. He averaged 21.5 points per game as a junior and 20.2 as a senior, clearing 51% from the arc both years. He also averaged greater than five assists per game all four years at UWGB.

Odds and ends

Butch Lee wasn't a player of the year because Marquette didn't play in a conference until the 1990s, but it's safe to say the 1978 national player of the year would have won the conference award, too.

Former Marquette player Jamal Cain was named the Horizon League co-player of the year with Oakland in 2022.

Other recent players of the year from Wisconsin high schools include Alondes Williams (Milwaukee Riverside) in the ACC with Wake Forest in 2022; Megan Gustafson (South Shore) of Iowa in the Big Ten in 2018 and 2019; Caron Butler (Racine Park) of UConn for the Big East in 2002; and Sonja Henning (Racine Horlick) of Stanford for the Pac-10 in 1991. Ochai Agbaji, the Big 12 player of the year last year for Kansas, was born in Milwaukee.

Adam Koch of Ashwaubenon was the 2010 player of the year in the Missouri Valley for Northern Iowa.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These Wisconsin college stars were conference players of the year