PREVIEW: Chargers look to clarify place in G-MAC race with huge road contests at Walsh, Lake Erie

Feb 07, 2024

Schedule

Hillsdale (13-7, 8-5 G-MAC) at Walsh (14-4, 8-4 G-MAC) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 | Alumni Arena | North Canton, OH

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Additional Info

Projected Starters

Hillsdale: #2 Ashton Janowski, So, G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (9.7 ppg); #4 Charles Woodhams, Jr., G, Otsego, MI/Otsego (13.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.5 apg); #22 Samuel Vasiu, Sr., G, Grand Rapids, MI/NorthPointe Christian (7.5 ppg, 1.4 spg); #31 CJ Yarian, So., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (5 ppg, 5.5 rpg); #33 Joe Reuter, Jr., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (15.3 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg)

Walsh: #1 Kobe Mitchell, So., G, Cadiz, OH/Harrison Central/U. of Akron (18.3 ppg , 5.4 rpg); #14 Colin McHale, So, G/F, Cincinnati, OH/Turpin (5 ppg, 2.2 rpg); #21 Garrison Keeslar, Jr., G/F, Green, OH/Green (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.5 apg 1.8 spg); #23 Zac Oddo, So., G/F, Green, OH/Green (10.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg); #30 Nic Smith, Jr., F, Cincinnati, OH/Walnut Hills (5.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

Lake Erie: #3 CJ Hornbeak, Fr., G, Toledo, OH/St. John's (8.2 ppg , 2.3 rpg, 3.2 apg); #12 Caleb Piks, Jr, F, Mentor, OH/Mentor (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg); #15 Leon Hughes, Jr., F, Toledo, OH/Whitmer (10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2 apg); #21 Todd Simons, So, G/F, Austintown, OH/Austintown Fitch/Butler County CC (1.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg); #34 Jonny Manning, Jr., F/C, Grafton, OH/Midview (15.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2 apg, 1 spg, 1 bpg)

Scouting the Opposition

Walsh: The defending 2022-23 G-MAC Champions came into the 2023-24 season with high hopes of a repeat, and after a strong stretch of recent play now sit just two games back from the lead with eight games remaining.

At 8-4 in conference, Walsh has won nine of its last 10 games and seven of eight in the G-MAC, and are in the hunt for both the title and a trip to the NCAA DII Tournament in March.

The Cavaliers have a talented team, led by returning starters Garrison Keeslar, a two-time first-team All-G-MAC player, as well as wings Nic Smith and Zack Oddo. To that mix, Walsh has added one of the most dynamic scoring guards in the league, Akron U. transfer Kobe Mitchell, a 40% 3-point shooter who's 3rd in the G-MAC in points per game so far.

With a long, athletic lineup, Walsh is the G-MAC's top defensive team as well, conceding just 62.9 points per game. While the Cavaliers are formidable on paper, they struggled shooting the ball in three of their four conference losses, and will have to stay hot in February to run down league leader Cedarville.

Walsh is coached by Jeff Young, one of the deans of the G-MAC coaching fraternity with 19 years leading the Cavaliers, and 10 national tournament appearances, three G-MAC tournament championships, and the 2005 NAIA national title.

Lake Erie: The Storm entered the season with high hopes but it's been a rough ride so far, as injuries and other absences have made it so that Lake Erie has struggled to keep a consistent team on the floor.

Their record reflects that lack of continuity, but despite a 6-15 mark, the Storm remain a dangerous opponent, as Findlay and Malone can attest.

One player who has been a consistent rock for Lake Erie all season is returning All-G-MAC post Jonny Manning, an athletic pivot who puts up big scoring and rebounding numbers while also serving as a plus defender for Lake Erie. Fellow veteran post player Leon Hughes has also been dependable for the Storm, while sharpshooters Jacob Plantz and Jake Leibacher have missed time but have been important scorers for Lake Erie.

Depth has helped the Storm keep plugging through the roster turnover, with several freshmen and sophomores, including C.J. Hornbeak, Trace Bishko and Todd Simons stepping into bigger roles as the season has worn on.

The Storm are coached by Kyle Conley, now in his 15th season with the program and his eighth as head coach. Conley has led Lake Erie to some of its most successful seasons as a program, building on his experience as an assistant at both Lake Erie and his alma mater, Findlay.

Scouting the Chargers

The Hillsdale College Chargers have held their own in a brutal and stacked G-MAC race, staying in the mix for the conference tournament and entering the stretch run with an 8-5 G-MAC record. Now in the midst of a long road trip, Hillsdale will have a chance to decide its own fate over the next month of contests.

While this season does mark a new beginning for Hillsdale, there's plenty of continuity with the program's recent successes and the foundation built over the past two decades. Before taking the head job this past spring, Bradley spent three seasons as Hillsdale's associate head coach, helping guide the program to a 2020-21 G-MAC title, three 20-plus win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 appearances, and a 2022 NCAA DII Midwest Regional title and Elite Eight appearance. His background makes him very familiar with the Chargers program and how to keep things rolling.

And while Hillsdale bid farewell to four starters this offseason, several important players return for Bradley in the 2023-24 season, led by the lone starting holdover, junior Joe Reuter, who earned second-team All-G-MAC honors while averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds per game for a 23-win Chargers squad in 2022-23. While Reuter has had a role to play for the Chargers since his first day on campus, this season will be a big chance for the junior to take on a key leadership role with the squad as an upperclassman.

Along with Reuter, Hillsdale also brings back a trio of important substitutes from 2022-23 who look poised to compete for starting roles. Guards Charles Woodhams, a redshirt junior, and Ashton Janowski, a true sophomore, were big in moments off the bench for Hillsdale last season and should see their roles increase in 2023-24, while fellow guards Samuel Vasiu and Cole McWhinnie should take on bigger roles as well.

In the paint, Radisevic could step in as the Chargers' post presence after serving as the first big man off the bench in last year's rotation. Redshirt sophomore Walt Mattingly should also see a bigger role, as will redshirt freshmen C.J. Yarian and Garrett Bolte, who will both see their first collegiate action this season.

Hillsdale should also get some quality minutes from a five-player freshman class. Guards Logan Beaston and Mikey McCollum were both proficient scorers at the high school level and could bring some offensive punch, while Caleb Glaser and Connor Stonebraker will get a chance to break into the lineup in the post as well.

A young Chargers squad is looking to keep alive a string of six consecutive seasons with 19 or more wins, a stretch that includes four NCAA Tournament appearances and two G-MAC titles despite tough competition from a league that is rising rapidly in talent and accolades.

Matchup History

Hillsdale and Walsh have had a series of great battles, starting in the GLIAC and continuing into the G-MAC. The Chargers lead the series 11-10 despite a 67-58 Walsh victory over Hillsdale earlier this season on Jan. 18, with Hillsdale looking to get some payback on Thursday. The two teams have finished in the top three in each of the last two seasons of G-MAC play.
Hillsdale is 22-3 all-time against Lake Erie and has won eight of the last nine against the Storm, though the Chargers did split last year with a 79-64 win at home and a 67-63 loss at Lake Erie. In their one meeting this season,

Other Notes

The Chargers were picked to finish sixth in the G-MAC Preseason Poll released in late October. Defending G-MAC Tournament Champion Ashland was picked to win the league, and 2022-23 regular season champion Walsh was picked to finish second. Since joining the league in 2017-18, Hillsdale has never finished worse than third in the final G-MAC standings.
Hillsdale is looking to continue an impressive run of recent success over the last six seasons that includes two G-MAC Championships, four 20-plus win campaigns, four NCAA DII Tournament berths, two Sweet 16 appearances, and a Midwest Regional title and Elite Eight appearance in 2021-22. The Chargers have had 21 or more wins in each of the last three seasons, and made an unprecedented three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
While Hillsdale graduated four starters and three All-G-MAC players from last season's 23 win team, the Chargers do have significant returning talent, led by junior Joe Reuter. The G-MAC Freshman of the Year in 2021-22 and a second team All-G-MAC honoree in 2022-23, Reuter averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game last year as a key player for Hillsdale, and is off to an impressive start, averaging over 15 points and six rebounds in 20 games this season. With a young squad in 2023-24, the Chargers will lean heavily on his experience and leadership.
Junior Charles Woodhams made an impact off the bench for the Chargers last season, with six double digit scoring games and a season-high of 18 points against Cedarville on Dec. 1. Now in the starting lineup for the Chargers, he's starting to put up those big numbers on a nightly basis. The Otsego, Michigan native is averaging 13.9 points per game and scored a career high 26 points in a tight victory over Lake Erie to open conference play on Nov. 30. His 53.7% field goal percentage is stellar for a guard and ranks sixth among all G-MAC players.
Redshirt freshman CJ Yarian put together a special performance in his debut for the Chargers, recording 15 rebounds and eight assists in Hillsdale's 71-65 victory over Wayne State on Friday, Nov. 10. It's the most combined rebounds and assists in a single game by a Charger since Matt Mlynarchek put up 16 rebounds and seven assists against Mercyhurst on Jan. 20, 2003, over 20 years ago. The younger brother of three-time All-G-MAC player Austen Yarian, CJ figures to be an important part of the rotation for the Chargers in 2023-24.
Senior Samuel Vasiu is seeing the first consistent minutes of his career for the Chargers in 2023-24, and he's made a huge impact for Hillsdale at the defensive end. Through 20 games, he's tied for seventh among all G-MAC players with an impressive 1.4 steals per game.

The Chargers clamped down in a historic way on opponent Tiffin in a 73-35 road win on Thursday, Feb. 1. The 35 points given up by Hillsdale in that contest are the fewest conceded by a Charger squad since a 65-31 win over U of M Dearborn on Nov. 11, 2011, over a decade ago. Hillsdale's all-time record for fewest points conceded in a contest is 5 in a 12-5 pre-shot clock era win over Saginaw Valley State in 1981.

A consistent theme in the Chargers' success over the last six seasons has been excellent 3-point defense. Through 20 games, Hillsdale once again ranks among the leaders in opponent 3-point percentage in both the G-MAC and nationally, with the Chargers' mark of 29.8% ranking first in the G-MAC and tied for 12th in the nation among all NCAA DII teams. That's helped Hillsdale hold opponents to 63.9 points per game, second in the G-MAC and ninth in the nation as well.