INDIANAPOLIS - Twelve schools in the new-look Great Midwest Athletic Conference will battle for positition all season long in the league standings with the 2017-18 campaign right around the corner.
Reigning regular season and tournament champion Kentucky Wesleyan emerged on top of a seven-team field, but the Panthers will have more to contend with this year with improvement from other Great Midwest programs and the introduction of Findlay, Hillsdale, Lake Erie, Ohio Dominican and Walsh, from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Returning to the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional remains a priority for every program with hopes of establishing itself as a conference championship, regular season or tournament, contender along the way.
Findlay has already put the Great Midwest on the map before the regular season has gotten underway, beating Toledo in a fundraising exhibition last night that raised $6,500 towards the hurricane relief efforts. The Oilers will get their chance to play in front of a national audience in the new calendar year against Kentucky Wesleyan in Croy Gymnasium on ESPN3 via the WatchESPN app.
The 2017-18 men’s basketball schedule features 20 games with each institution playing all but two of the teams in the conference twice. The conference tournament will be conducted the week prior to the NCAA Regional at the top seed site and feature eight teams.
Exhibitions against premier Division I programs give the Great Midwest a glimpse into what the 2017-18 season could hold. KWC will face Louisville, Hillsdale squares off against Michigan State, Cedarville meets Cleveland State and Trevecca meets Middle Tennessee State in the preseason slate.
The previous wave of talent left fans with lasting impressions, including the Kentucky Wesleyan duo of Ken-Jah Bosley (all-time leading scorer in conference history) and Jordan Jacks, along with 2016-17 Great Midwest Player of the Year Kevin Bracy-Davis from Davis & Elkins and 1,000-point plus scorer J.C. Faubion of Cedarville. A new crop of standouts will rise in 2017-18 as the league also prepares for the addition of Tiffin to membership in 2018-19.
Information in the capsules below was provided by each institution's sports information department.
| ALDERSON BROADDUS BATTLERS (Philippi, WV) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 16-14 Overall, 8-4 G-MAC (2nd in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Wayne State (MI) |
| Team Preview |
| Greg Zimmerman returns to Alderson Broaddus for his 17th season as head coach of the Battlers in 2017-18…He has led the Battlers to a record of 359-129 for a .736 winning percentage…AB has made the NCAA Tournament under Zimmerman nine times with its last bid coming in 2010…The Battlers reached the NCAA Tournament in nine-consecutive years from 2002-2010…He was named the 2017 G-MAC Coach of the Year as the Battlers fell to Kentucky Wesleyan in the G-MAC Championship…Returning for the Battlers includes sophomore guard Malik Bocook…In 22 games in 16-17, Bocook averaged 15.9 points per game & 9.9 rebounds a game…He tallied 13 double-doubles in 22 games…Career-high in points came at Bluefield State with 26….Bocook was named the G-MAC Freshman of the Year in 16-17 & was named to the All-Conference first team…He was also named to the D2 Bulletin Freshman All-American team…Also returning for AB includes senior Chavez Harper who finished with 6.7 points a game and 5.8 rebounds a game…His season-high in points came vs. Washington Adventist with 18…Other key contributors include Mike Mitchell (7.9 ppg) and Sam Sanders (9.9 ppg) |
| Players to Watch |
4 Sam Sanders (G, Sr. , 5-10, 175, Columbia, MD / Oakwood HS)
#10 Malik Bocook (G, So., 6-4, 220, Zanesville, OH / Zanesville HS)
#11 Mike Davis (G, Jr., 6-2, 200, Cleveland, OH / Garfield Heights HS/Lakeland CC)
#24 Chavez Harper (F, Sr., 6-5, 206, Cleveland, OH / Euclid HS)
#35 Mike Mitchell (F, Sr., 6-7, 215, Toledo, OH / Start HS) |
| CEDARVILLE YELLOW JACKETS (Cedarville, OH) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 13-16 Overall, 5-7 G-MAC (5th in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Maryville |
| Team Preview |
Head Coach Pat Estepp begins his 10th year (168-109) at Cedarville and there will be a new look to the Yellow Jackets when they begin the 2017-18 hoops season as only two of the team’s top six scorers are back from last season. Senior Patrick Bain, a 6-3 guard, averaged in double figures with 13.5 points per game while tossing in a team-best 44 field goals from behind the arc. Junior Robert Okoro, a 6-6 forward, was the Yellow Jackets second-leading rebounder at 5.3 boards per game while adding 7.9 points per contest. Okoro paced the team with 17 blocked shots, 66 offensive rebounds and a .530 field goal percentage. Kwenton Scott, a 6-4 junior guard, appeared in all 29 games during the 2016-17 campaign and produced solid numbers off the bench averaging just under six points per game. He will push for a possible starting role and an increase in playing time from last year’s 13 minutes per game. Joey Morlan, a 6-5 junior forward, proved to be a dangerous long-range weapon while appearing in all 29 games last winter and connecting on 43 three-point field goals. Redshirt sophomore guard Colton Linkous, another outside shooting threat, has returned to the Yellow Jackets after playing in just two games last year due to health issues. Senior guard Evan Kraatz dished out 53 assists last year and adds experience to the point guard position. Gabriel Portillo, a 6-6 junior, will provide rebounding and inside defensive depth to the squad. Coach Estepp will need immediate contributions from two transfers and several talented freshmen. A pair of guards with plenty of experience will be important keys to the upcoming season. Grant Zawadzki, a 6-0 guard, joins the Yellow Jackets after starting 32 games at Indiana Wesleyan in 2016-17. He averaged 4.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while handing out 96 assists for the Wildcats who finished 29-8 overall. Demond Parker, a 6-2 sophomore, tossed in 12 points per game while grabbing 3.6 rebounds per contest at Wilberforce. His .466 effort from three-point range ranked 12th in the NAIA last season. Key freshmen expected to contribute in the 2017-18 campaign include Riley Matticks (6-3, Parker, CO), Quinton Green (6-6, Grove City, OH) and Conner TenHove (6-7, Valparaiso, IN).
|
| Players to Watch |
#22 Kwenton Scott (G, Jr., 6-4, 205, Phoenix, AZ / Cesar Chavez HS)
#23 Patrick Bain (G, Sr., 6-3, 200, Tipp City, OH / Bethel HS)
#50 Robert Okoro (F, Jr., Imo State, Nigeria / Cornerstone Christian Academy) |
| DAVIS & ELKINS SENATORS (Elkins, WV) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 13-15 Overall, 7-5 G-MAC (3rd in G-MAC) |
Tuesday, Nov. 14 vs. West Liberty |
| Team Preview |
| The Senators are coming off one of their most successful seasons in recent history, finishing third in the regular season standings under head coach Nick Patella. In his third season, Patella will have a new look to his squad, with the biggest hole being left by reigning Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year Kevin Bracy-Davis, who is now playing professionally in Spain. Bracy-Davis led the conference in scoring in 2016-17. The Senators return three starters and nine letter winners from last season, including Second-team All-Conference performer Rickenjee Bellevue (C, Sr., 6-7, Croix-Des-Bouquets, Haiti) and All-Freshman Team award winner Donte Doleman (G, So., 6-0, Ranson, W.Va.). Bellevue averaged 10.8 points per game, shooting .651 from the field while also collecting 11.6 rebounds per game, which led the G-MAC. The Senators will also look to Jordan McElveen (F, Jr., 6-4, Goose Creek, S.C.) and Kevin Simpson (G, Jr., 5-10, Oxon Hill, Md.), both of whom are returning starters from last season. McElveen, who played in every game, averaged 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest in his sophomore season. Simpson, who missed significant time due to injury, still averaged 9.5 points per contest. Coach Patella also brought in one of the largest recruiting classes in recent history to add to his talent available for 2017-18 with eight freshmen and transfers coming to Elkins. |
| Players to Watch |
#23 Rickenjee Bellevue (F/C, Sr., 6-7, 225, Croix-Des-Bouquets, Haiti / Liberty HS)
#0 Kevin Simpson (G, Jr., 5-10, 150, Oxon Hill, MD / Duval HS)
#4 Donte Doleman (G, So., 6-0, 190, Ranson, WV / Saint Maria Goretti HS)
#3 Jordan McElveen (G, Jr., 6-4, 192, Goose Creek, SC / Goose Creek HS) |
| FINDLAY OILERS (Findlay, OH) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 25-7 Overall, 16-4 GLIAC (1st in South Division) |
Friday, November 3 vs. Indiana (PA) |
| Team Preview |
| The Oilers have high expectations heading into the 2017-18 campaign and will be looking to build on their Sweet 16 run of last year. Senior guard Martyce Kimbrough and senior forward Taren Sullivan return to lead the team, that ended the 2016-17 campaign ranked 25th in the nation with a 25-7 record. Kimbrough is back after averaging 19.3 points per game during his junior year. He set school records for most made three pointers (114) and most attempted triples (282) while shooting 40.4 percent from long range. His 617 points scored were also the eighth-highest total in school history. Kimbrough was also named first team all-region and first team all-conference last season. Sullivan meanwhile averaged 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He also shot a team-high 55.2 percent (233-of-422) from the floor and made a team-high 44.8 percent (64-of-143) of his three point tries. His 580 points scored was the tenth-best total in school history. Sullivan’s stat-stuffing season earned him first team all-conference and second team all-region accolades. The Oilers also return senior guards Elijah Kahlig and Austin Gardner to a roster that also features a lot of young talent. Kahlig averaged 10.9 points per game and shot 41.3 percent (76-of-184) from behind the three point line. Gardner meanwhile averaged 5.2 points and 6.3 assists per game before an injury cut his season short. |
| Players to Watch |
#14 Martyce Kimbrough (G, Sr., 6-1, 180, Lima, OH / Central Catholic HS/UIndy)
#5 Taren Sullivan (F, Sr., 6-6, 220, Lima, OH / Bath HS)
#22 Elijah Kahlig (G, Sr., 6-3, 190, Ft. Recovery, OH / Ft. Recovery HS)
#2 Austin Gardner (G, Sr., 6-1, 180, Bowling Green, OH / Toledo St. John's)
#42 Alex White (F, Jr., 6-7, 245, West Chester, OH / Lakota East HS)
#32 Aaron Overhiser (F, So., 6-7, 225, South Haven, MI / Fennville HS) |
| HILLSDALE CHARGERS (Hillsdale, MI) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 15-12 Overall, 11-9 GLIAC (3rd in South Division) |
Friday, November 10 vs. Southern Indiana |
| Team Preview |
| This year’s Hillsdale College men’s basketball team figures to be one of its most experienced in recent years, as three starters and 13 letterwinners return from last year’s 15-12 squad…Seniors Ryan Badowski and Stedman Lowry return for their third and fourth seasons starting, respectively…Lowry ranks fifth in school history with 209 made career 3-point field goals, and he led the Chargers in scoring a year ago…Badowski is also an excellent outside shooter and is a valuable defender…Junior Nate Neveau returns as the starting point guard and was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team last year…Junior center Nick Czarnowski is expected to move into the starting lineup after finishing last year strong…Czarnowski scored in double digits in nine of the team’s last 11 games…Veteran guards Dylan Lowry and Harrison Niego also return, as do forwards Gordon Behr and Jack Cordes. |
| Players to Watch |
#5 Stedman Lowry (G, Sr., 6-3, 180, Liberty Township, OH / Lakota East HS)
#2 Ryan Badowski (G/F, Sr., 6-3, 185, Brunswick, OH / Brunswick HS)
#3 Nate Neveau (Jr., G, 5-10, 170, Oshkosh, WI / North HS)
#45 Nick Czarnowski (Jr., C, 6-8, 230, Naperville, IL / Central HS) |
| KENTUCKY WESLEYAN PANTHERS (Owensboro, KY) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 28-3 Overall, 12-0 G-MAC (1st in G-MAC) |
Saturday, November 11 vs. Lake Superior State |
| Team Preview |
| The 2017 Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions welcome nine Panthers to the 2017-18 squad in guard Daniel Dzierzawski, guard Bird Cardwell, guard Jordan Johnson, guard Chandler Redix, forward Evan Milligan, guard Rashiede Bell, forward Amir Warnock, forward Jacob Overton and guard Erik Bell. Forward Malek Harris, a 2017 G-MAC All-Conference selection, will anchor the offense at the forward position. The Panthers posted a 28-3 record last season, with all three losses coming on neutral courts. Kentucky Wesleyan will look to protect its 48 home game winning streak at the Owensboro Sportscenter which is the third longest in program history. KWC program standouts Ken-Jah Bosley (Israel) and Jordan Jacks (Finland) have each graduated and moved on to the professional ranks. |
| Players to Watch |
#2 Bird Cardwell (G, Jr., 6-3, 180, Montgomery, AL / Carver HS/Arkansas Baptist)
#5 Chandler Redix (G, Jr., 6-2, 180, Apple Valley, CA / Cathedral HS/East Los Angeles)
#15 Malek Harris (F, Jr., Orland, IL / Carl Sandburg/Kansas State)
#20 Rashiede Bell (G, Jr., Evansville, IN / Central HS/South Suburban College)
#44 Dakota Quinn (F, So., Nashville, TN / Davidson Academy/Samford) |
| LAKE ERIE STORM (Painesville, OH) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 4-24 Overall, 3-17 GLIAC (7th in South Division) |
Friday, November 10 vs. Ashland |
| Team Preview |
| The Storm will look to build upon the continued improvement from last season. Second-year head coach Kyle Conley returns four starters and 11 players who saw extensive playing time in a season of growth and development in 2016. Coach Conley looks to continue to improve day in and day out this season while being highly competitive in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Lake Erie will get a boost in experience and leadership from senior Michael Morris (New Palestine, Ind. / New Palestine) as he returns from an injury that held him out all of last season. The senior Morris will be joined by a host of young talent. Sophomore Gabe Kynard (Toledo, Ohio / St. John's) will lead the Storm backcourt (Columbus, Ohio / Westerville South). Kynard was second on the team in scoring as he averaged 10.3 points per game, and shot 44.2 percent from the field. In addition to Morris and Kynard, junior Brogan Scott (Wadsworth, Ohio / Highland) was the Lake Erie’s leading rebounder last season as he averaged 5.3 rebounds per game. |
| Players to Watch |
#10 Gabe Kynard (G, So., 6-0, 185, Toledo, OH / Toledo St. John's)
#14 Brogan Scott (G, Jr., 6-5, 200, Wadsworth, OH / Highland HS)
#44 Michael Morris (F, Sr., 6-7, 230, New Palestine, IN / New Palestine HS) |
| MALONE PIONEERS (Canton, OH) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 14-13 Overall, 6-6 G-MAC (4th in G-MAC) |
Friday, November 10 vs. Illinois Springfield |
| Team Preview |
| The Malone University men’s basketball team returns five of its top six scorers from last year’s squad…The Pioneers went 14-13 a year ago, winning nine of their final 13 regular-season games before advancing to the semifinal round of the conference tournament…Malone’s experienced roster will look to a trio of seniors to lead the way in point guard Ty Jordan and forwards Mitchell Spotleson and Djuro Pantos…Jordan was a First Team All-Great Midwest selection after ranking among the conference leaders in scoring (15.8 ppg), steals (47), assists (153) and three-pointers (73)…Spotleson, a four-year starter, averaged 13.5 points and ranked fifth in the conference with 7.0 rebounds per game last season…Pantos, meanwhile, will look to expand on a solid junior campaign in which he tallied 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per outing….Another key contributor for the Pioneers will be junior guard Nate Sheppard, who ranked seventh in the league in both points (14.9 ppg) and rebounds (5.7 rpg) and reached double-digits in scoring in 26 of his 27 games played…Additional experience will be provided by guard Daylan Haynie, a G-MAC All-Freshman Team selection last season, along with forward Ben Evans and guard Kamron Carroll. |
| Players to Watch |
#0 Ty Jordan (G, Sr., 6-3, 175, Houston, TX / Fort Bend Travis/Hesston College)
#34 Mitchell Spotleson (F, Sr., 6-5, 205, Uniontown, OH / Uniontown Lake)
#23 Nate Sheppard (G, RS Jr., 6-5, 200, Dayton, OH / Jefferson)
#12 Djuro Pantos (F, Sr., 6-7, 230, Belgrade, Serbia / Sportska Gimnazija/Polk State College) |
| OHIO DOMINICAN PANTHERS (Columbus, OH) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 14-12 Overall, 9-11 GLIAC (5th in South Division) |
Friday, November 10 vs. Tiffin |
| Team Preview |
| Coming off its best season since 2007-08, Ohio Dominican’s men’s basketball team looks forward to competition in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference this season following 14 wins en route to a fifth-place finish in the GLIAC South in 2016-17. Ohio Dominican returns 14 student-athletes from last season's roster, including all starters from 2016-17. Seniors Ronnie Williams (Columbus, Ohio) and Shemar Waugh (Columbus, Ohio) return with a bevy of experience at the guard position with a combined 106 starts in their careers. Williams led the Panthers in scoring last season at 13.7 points per contest and at 952 career points, needs just 48 more to become the 24th, 1,000-point scorer in program history. Waugh returns after garnering GLIAC All-Defensive team honors last season with 1.3 steals in 25.5 minutes per contest. Sophomores Hasan Varence (Queens, New York) and Sam Hickey (Toledo, Ohio) will look to make significant impacts in their second seasons at ODU after ranking second and third in scoring last season for the Panthers. Varence averaged 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest in 26 starts, shooting 60.6 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range. Hickey finished with the third-highest three-point field goal percentage for a season in ODU men's basketball history, connecting on 46 percent of his tries from long range. The Panthers face Dayton in an exhibition contest on Saturday, November 4 at 7 p.m. at UD Arena. The squad opens the regular season on Friday, November 10 at Tiffin as part of the G-MAC/GLIAC Challenge and will host Ashland on Sunday, November 12 at Alumni Hall in its first home contest. |
| Players to Watch |
#2 Ronnie Williams (G, Sr., 6-3, 175, Columbus, OH / Brookhaven HS)
#44 Hasan Varence (F, So., 6-6, 200, Queens, NY / Columbus Linden McKinley)
#4 Sam Hickey (G, So., 6-3, 175, Toledo, OH / Whitmer) |
| OHIO VALLEY FIGHTING SCOTS (Vienna, WV) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 2-24 Overall, 1-11 G-MAC (7th in G-MAC) |
Saturday, Nov. 11 vs. Wright State-Lake |
| Team Preview |
| Mike Snell is back for his 11th year at helm for the Scots. He will be joined on the sideline by two new assistants: Aleka Carr and Isaiah Osborne…The Fighting Scots roster has a fresh look with 8 new faces incoming, with the goal of improving on the two-win 16-17 season. Senior Guard Kyle Davis is back as he was the leading point scorer for OVU at 13.5 points per game last season. Also back is senior Aleksandar Djordjevic who averaged double-digits in the scoring column at 10.4 points per game, and led the Scots in assists with three per game. In terms of newcomers freshman guard Parker Black was named First Team All-Ohio at Meadowbrook High School, and he will be looked on to provide an immediate impact in his first collegiate season. Christian Alley set nearly every scoring record at Parkersburg Christian before playing out his senior season at Huntington Prep School. At 6’5 he provides some athleticism on the wing that the Scots have been lacking in years past. There are only three seniors on the roster so for OVU to have success these new faces are going to be asked to play significant minutes, and make contributions on the both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. |
| Players to Watch |
#1 Kyle Davis (G, Sr., 6-2, 175, Washington D.C. / Wakefield HS)
#13 Aleksandar Djordjevic (G, Sr., 6-4, 200, Lazarevac, Serbia / West Virginia Wesleyan)
#5 Luka Djordjevic (G, So., 6-2, 190, Lazarevac, Serbia / Liberty Christian HS)
#14 Mason Edgell (G, So., 6-4, 170, McConnelsville, OH / Morgan HS) |
| TREVECCA TROJANS (Nashville, TN) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 8-21 Overall, 3-9 G-MAC (6th in G-MAC) |
Saturday, November 11 vs. Truman State |
| Team Preview |
| The Trojans are looking to build upon last season’s 8-21 campaign in which they fell to Davis & Elkins in the Great Midwest Conference quarterfinals. Jacob Williams enters the season as the lone senior and most experienced Trojan on the roster. Williams averaged a career-best 12.9 pointer per game while also breaking the school-record for three pointers made (9) in a single game last season. Williams finished second in the G-MAC with 69 three pointers made, averaging 2.6 per game. Devin Whitfield, the Trojans leading scorer from a season ago, is back and looks to improve upon his 15.7 points per game. Sam Harris enters his 25th season as the Trojans head coach. Harris brings in a talented recruiting class for the 2017-18 season including freshmen Gary Naylor II and Austin Willis. Harris is also bringing in transfers Ronald Strother, Taywyn Mason and Deion Johnson. The Trojans season begins with a pair of exhibition games against Mount Vernon Nazarene and Middle Tennessee State University before beginning the regular season on Nov. 11 against Truman State University. |
| Players to Watch |
#2 Devin Whitfield (G, So., 6-5, 180, Lipscomb, AL / McAdory HS)
#23 Jacob Williams (G, Sr., 6-3, 210, Lebanon, TN / Wilson Central HS) |
| WALSH CAVALIERS (North Canton, OH) |
| 2016-17 Record and Standings |
First Game |
| 16-11 Overall, 9-11 GLIAC (4th in South Division) |
Monday, November 13 vs. Ohio Christian |
| Team Preview |
| Walsh will head into its first season as a member of the G-MAC with a young look and many new faces on the floor. Gone are two of the best scorers in program history in Zac Carter and Trey Fletcher, but returning are starters Steven Carpenter (Sr., 6-3, 200, Lancaster, Ohio/Fairfield Christian) and Chandler Vaudrin (So., 6-7, 168, Uniontown, Ohio/Lake) along with letter-winner Will Parker (Sr., 6-7, 217, Louisville, Ky.,/Male). All three saw action in at least 24 games last season with Carpenter and Vaudrin starting at least 20. Both were the fourth and fifth leading scorers on the team as Vaudrin averaged 6.7 points and Carpenter averaged 6.0 points per game. Vaudrin’s length also helped the Cavaliers last season as he led the team with 7.8 rebounds per game. The Cavaliers will also have a friendly schedule to start the year as they open up with six consecutive home games. Walsh will host Ohio Christian on Monday, Nov. 13, and start conference play on Thursday, Nov. 30, against Davis & Elkins. |
| Players to Watch |
#11 Steven Carpenter (G, Sr., 6-3, 200, Lancaster, OH / Fairfield Christian Academy)
#52 Chandler Vaudrin (G, So., 6-7, 168, Uniontown, OH / Uniontown Lake HS)
#22 Will Parker (F, Jr., 6-7, 217, Louisville, KY / Male HS) |