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Oct. 15, 2003
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Falcon basketball player Rich Melzer (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn., River Falls HS) has been named the DIII News Preseason Player of the Year. "Rich showed that he is one of the top Division III players this season," said DIIIN Editor Gary Rubin. "He can score and be a force on the defensive end of the court. There were many top candidates for this honor, but Rich is very deserving." The publication announced its 2003-04 All-American teams on Oct. 15. The 6-8, 225 pound Melzer had a banner filled season in 2002-03. He was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches first All-America team. Melzer was named the West Region Player of the Year. Eight players were named to the first All-America team and either others to the second team. Melzer was named to the 2002 All-West Region team. Melzer was named the WIAC's Co-Most Valuable Player along with UW-Oshkosh's Tim Dworak. He was also named to the D3Hoops.com second team. Melzer was named to the first All-WIAC team in 2002 and 2003. He helped lead the Falcons to a 16-10 overall record in 2003. UWRF finished 10-6 in the WIAC and in third place. Melzer was the dominant big man in the WIAC in 2003. He led the conference in scoring, averaging 28.1 points a game, and rebounding, with a 9.7 per game average. He was fifth in field goal shooting (.559) and was the top shot blocker (54). He was named the WIAC Player of the Week four times during the season, more than any other player in the conference. Melzer led the Falcons in scoring in every game but three. He led the team in rebounding in every game but two. He finished scoring in double figures in every game and finished with 15 double-doubles. He has scored in double figures in 71 games, including the last 53 straight. His best scoring and rebounding game was a 54-point, 16-rebound performance at UW-La Crosse on Jan. 29, 2003. He finished 20-27 from the field and 14-16 from the line. The 54 points ties him for fourth place in scoring in a single game at UWRF. The 54 points was the most scored in a single game in Div. III in 2003. In 16 WIAC games Melzer scored 464 points - a WIAC record. UW-Superior's Jim Sevals scored 436 in 1966. His 29.0 points per game in 16 WIAC games is also a conference record. Oshkosh's Ralph Sims averaged 27.6 points in the 1976-77 season. His 731 points during the season was third most in Falcon history. His 251 rebounds was sixth in a single season. Melzer finished second in the NCAA Div. III in scoring with his 28.1 per game average. He was 32nd in the NCAA Div. III in rebounding with 9.7 a contest and 37th in blocked shots with 2.1 a game. Melzer is currently fifth in scoring in Falcon history with 1,636 points. Nate DeLong (1946-50) is the all-time UW-RF leader with 2,592 points. Melzer has 591 career rebounds and ranks fifth all-time in that category. Dan McGinty (1975-79) is the Falcons all-time career leader with 1,097. |
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