No Pioneer fan will soon forget the incredible season the UW-Platteville men’s basketball team had a year ago. The team went 23-6 on their way back to the Division III national tournament for the first time since 1999.

Great coaching and talent on the floor were obviously the two biggest reasons for the Pioneers’ success a year ago, but there is one other thing that played a tremendous role. The fans on UW-P’s campus and in the Platteville community came out in droves to support the team. This support is the best in the WIAC and is a big reason for the storied history of the UW-P men’s basketball team going back to the four national championships they won under the direction of Bo Ryan.

This season I am challenging all of the UW-P men’s basketball fans to simply become Pioneer basketball fans. Drop the men’s part of the phrase and go to Bo Ryan Court and watch the women’s Pioneer team play as well.

The basketball tradition on this campus is well documented, but let’s help out the women’s team and show them the kind of support we have shown the men’s team. I have no doubts that if the fans in Platteville fill Williams Fieldhouse for women’s games like they do for men’s games, this season can be a big success for both teams.

In broadcasting the basketball games for WSUP last season, I had the opportunity to travel to different WIAC schools, and the support of the fans in Platteville is second to none. Let’s spread that spirit to the women’s basketball team and show the conference that UW-P is a dual threat in basketball.

This season at Bo Ryan Court let’s unite as Pioneers, and cheer on the women’s basketball team as much as we cheer on the men’s team. If this happens, it will be one wild ride this winter as basketball fever will sweep UW-P’s campus.