VIDEO: Coach John Tharp discusses the upcoming season with Genna Hilgenbrink
2013-14 Charger men's basketball quick facts
GLIAC Men's Basketball Preview Webpage
The Charger men's basketball team took a whirlwind tour of Division I exhibition games in a period of nine days before the start of the regular season, culminating in a trip to legendary Assembly Hall at Indiana University.
But those games don't count towards the team's final record. The ones starting next week do, and Hillsdale College has hopes of returning to the top of the GLIAC and the NCAA Tournament in the upcoming 2013-14 season.
Four starters return to the team that went 17-10 last season, and those four players are talented and battle-tested. But the team has also improved its depth and scoring punch off the bench with some newcomers, making this a season of high hopes for head coach John Tharp, entering his seventh season leading the program.
Hillsdale College was picked to finish in second place in the GLIAC South Division in the conference's preseason poll, released Thursday afternoon, Nov. 7. In addition, senior forward Tim Dezelski was selected to the preseason All-GLIAC South Division First Team, with senior guard Brandon Pritzl securing a spot on the preseason all-division Second Team.
The team captains (pictured) are Dezelski, Pritzl and senior guard Anthon Manno. Dezelski is a versatile, productive and efficient forward who has a complete offensive game. He was the Chargers' leading scorer and rebounder a year ago, and he fits into the team's motion offense perfectly. He's an excellent passer, can hit shots from any spot on the floor, and can even bring the ball up from the backcourt, when needed.
Manno played in a career-high 21 games a year ago, finally overcoming the injuries that have plagued the sharpshooter from Dearborn throughout his career. He connected on 52 percent of his 3-point attempts and opens up the floor on offense.
Pritzl is a terrific two-way player and is entering his third season as a starter. He's a strong guard who was named to the GLIAC All-Defensive Team in 2012 and made 42 percent of his 3-point shots last year. He is often assigned the opposing team's top backcourt scorer, making him a mainstay in the lineup.
The team's other seniors are point guard Derek Schell, forward Tony Nelson and guard Darius Ware, giving the Chargers one of their most experienced rosters in recent years. Schell started eight games a year ago, while Nelson is a long-armed, versatile forward coming off the bench. Ware is a spectacular athlete who gives Hillsdale even more length in the defensive backcourt.
Guard Cody Smith leads the junior class. Smith started 18 games a season ago, and has ideal combo-guard skills. Juniors Brandon Crane and Michael Furlong return, along with Ian Sheldon, who played football in his first three years at the college.
The sophomore class is rich in talent and potential. One player to watch will be 6- forward Kyle Cooper, who burned Valparaiso for 22 points in the first exhibition game this season. Cooper has an excellent shooting touch and his size and athletic ability allow him to play as many as three different positions on the floor. Jason Pretzer returns and will compete for the starting center position. At 6-11, 250 pounds, Pretzer has the size and strength to be an impact player in the GLIAC. He also has a good shooting touch out to 18 feet.
Forward Lucas Grose is a strong, left-handed forward who adds more depth and explosiveness to the lineup. New to the program this year is guard Garrett Jones and forward Rhett Smith. Jones came to Hillsdale from the University of New Hampshire, where he played in 13 games and averaged 6.5 minutes per game as a freshman in 2011-12. Jones is a powerful guard who excels in transition.
Smith joined the Chargers from Division I Indiana State, and figures to find playing time at forward. Smith stands 6-7 and is a natural scorer. Both Smith and Jones figure to give them team offense off the bench this season.
Six-foot-8 forward Nick Archer enters his first season on the active roster after redshirting as a freshman a year ago. Guards Eric Chilcote and Stedman Lowry also join the program as freshmen, and the coaches have raved about their potential to help the team down the road.
Tharp has already taken his place among the most successful coaches in the 100-plus years of men's basketball at Hillsdale College. His 107 wins rank him fourth on the school's all-time coaching wins list, and his .640 winning percentage is second among all coaches with a minimum of 100 games coached in school history. Once again, Findlay enters the season as a team to beat in the GLIAC South Division, but the Chargers have found some success against the Oilers recently, winning their last two meetings in Hillsdale after not beating their rivals from Ohio for nine-plus years.
This season, the GLIAC basketball schedule format reverts to the traditional time for the men's games, which will take place 23 minutes after the women's games end. The lone exception to this is the Saturday, Dec. 14 doubleheader against Michigan Tech, which sees the men's game to be played at 2:30, with the women's game to follow at 4:30.